Superman: Legacy
by Vadakin
Summary: The final part of my Superman Saga. As usual, click my name to find the previous parts. In this part, the being known as Darkseid comes to Earth with an invasion force to conquer the planet. Reviews welcome and appreciated as always. NOW COMPLETE!
1. Issue 26

Issue #26 – GODFALL

Smallville:

Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for the Daily Planet, stood in front of a mirror, looking at himself, dressed in a black tuxedo. Today was going to be the beginning of his biggest challenge. An unknown future.

It had been almost a year since his final confrontation with Lex Luthor. Lois had moved in with him and they had both won numerous awards for their investigative reporting.

It wasn't all great though. They had tried to get married before. But something always happened, someone always needed rescuing and Clark was forced to fly off and save the day. Adjusting his glasses, Clark turned towards the door, suddenly pausing, his ears picking up the sound of a faint female voice, then another…and another.

Searching through the walls with his x-ray vision, his eyes focussed, his vision zooming to a house nearby, looking through to see and hear the source of the cries for help. It was coming from a television, showing lives images of a fire in downtown Metropolis.

Rushing into action, Clark ripped off his tux, revealing a familiar blue suit. While his normal clothes were usually made using the advanced technology at the Fortress to allow a quick change, Lois had insisted that Clark should wear a proper, man-made tux for the wedding, suggesting that no computer in the galaxy had the programming to create an Italian-style suit better than an Italian designer. Walking to the closet, Clark opened a small panel in the back, revealing an assortment of capes and boots.

After quickly taking off his shoes and putting on the boots, Clark attached the cape, and, shaking his shoulders, the bright red cape dropped down his back. As he walked towards the window, opening it, he looked back at the wrinkled and torn tux lying on the ground behind him.

"Lois is gonna kill me…" Shaking his head, sighing to himself, the Man of Steel, jumped out of the window and in the blink of an eye, he was in the air, heading towards the city of Metropolis.

As Lois Lane walked back and forth in her long white wedding dress, her veil lying on the vanity table, she pondered the future, She had loved Clark for his innocence, his good nature and ability to make her smile. She had loved Superman for his ideals, his unwavering trust in the potential of humanity and his willingness to sacrifice himself for the world. Clark and Superman were one in the same. And now she was about to marry her hero.

Martha Kent entered the room, looking at her future daughter-in-law, admiring this strong-willed woman who had won the heart of her adopted son.

"Lois…"

Looking at the silver-haired woman, she could see it in her face.

"He's gone isn't he..."

"I'm afraid so. I'm sure he'll be back in time though."

Lois gave a soft laugh. "This is Clark remember? We both know what he's like. As soon as he's done saving someone, he finds another person who needs rescuing. It's not his fault I suppose, he is Superman after all. The world needs him."

Both women sat down, turning on the T.V. On the screen, images showed Superman carrying a young woman, in her mid-twenties, to safety, away from a burning high-rise building. The crowd cheered as the woman wrapped her arms around Superman, thanking him with a kiss on the cheek.

"Typical…" a note of jealousy passing through Lois.

Metropolis:

As Superman put out the last of the flames, he rose high up into the sky, exploding across the clouds back towards Kansas and his hometown of Smallville, back to Lois and the wedding. But again, he heard voices crying out for help. Changing direction, he shot off towards the North Atlantic and into the midst of a terrifying hurricane.

Through the rain and harsh winds, he saw a large passenger ship, losing a battle against the fierce waves crashing against the hull. The ship, sinking slowly into the sea as the passengers cried out for help. Landing on the upper deck, making his way to the bridge, he spotted an old man, wearing an officer's uniform. It was the captain.

"Superman, thank god you're here. I thought we were done for."

"How can I help?"

"This storm, I've never sailed through anything like it. There's water flooding the ship from the bowels, it's coming in faster than we can pump it out."

Superman immediately took off, diving underwater seeking out the source of the flooding. What he saw astounded him, a large gaping hole in the ships hull, allowing seawater to file through. Thinking for a moment, Superman flew up out of the water and back towards the mainland.

As waves crashed against the shore on Ellis Island, Superman flew over New York City, sighting what he needed, he descended down into a construction sight, picking up a large sheet of metal as the foreman of the site looked on.

"Mind if I borrow this?"

"Not at all Superman, take what you need."

Suddenly he was gone from sight again, flying at a tremendous speed over the Atlantic, the large sheet of metal in his hands, being carried like it was nothing more than paper.

Reaching the ship, he dived underwater, placing the metal sheet over the large hole, welding it into place using a focussed blast of heat from his eyes. Surfacing again, he found the captain, grateful for his assistance but with a grim look on his face.

"I'm afraid it's too late Superman, there's too much water on board. The ship is going to sink and most of the lifeboats were torn from their cables by the storm. We just don't have enough boats to fit everybody on. We've evacuated everybody from the lower decks but it's only a matter of time before the water level rises to the top."

As Superman opened his mouth to respond, he heard the crying voice of a child deep inside the ship. Running quickly, he became a blur, using his x-ray vision to find the cabin where the young boy was crying, alone with the water rising up around him. Breaking down the door, Superman entered the room, picking up the child.

"It's alright, I've got you."

Moving again, speeding up through the ship until he found the boys parents who were grateful to have their son back, the boy obviously excited,

"Mommy did you see me? I went so fast."

"I saw you Ronnie, wow you were like the Flash weren't you…"

"Aww come on Mom, everybody knows Superman isn't that fast."

Smiling to himself, Superman ran back to the bridge, feeling the ship start to shake as it began to sink under the water. Coupled with the raging storm battering the ship, Superman knew he was running out of time. Telling the captain to inform the crew and passengers to hold on, Superman flew out and back under the ship.

As the captain relayed the message over the PA system, he felt a light jolt as the ship began to slowly rise out of the water. Eventually the entire ship was airborne, with the Man of Steel underneath, taking the weight on his back. The people on the ship cheered as Superman took the ship high up and over the storm, flying in towards land.

Finally, Superman gently touched down with the ship in Gotham City Harbour, making sure everyone was alright before flying off. In the shadows, a lone figure watched as Superman took off into the distance. Glancing at the ship, Batman allowed himself a little smile.

"Show-off…"

Space:

High above, in the depths of space, a mysterious figure watched the events on a monitor. Turning to one of his minions, he gave an order.

"Bring Kal-El to me."

"Yes my lord…"

"Soon Kal-El, the last son of Krypton will be mine…"

The being known as Darkseid, looked out of a window on his colossal ship, inspecting a large invasion fleet powering through space. Their destination, Earth.

Smallville:

As Superman flew towards his home, his mind was filled with thoughts of an angry Lois. This was the third time he had left her at the alter, dashing off to save somebody. He wondered if she would forgive him again. Part of him wanted to just turn around and head for the Fortress, it might be safe there from her wrath. Clark chuckled at this thought as he began his descent, landing gracefully, touching down behind the barn.

After Lex Luthor and Zod destroyed the farm months earlier, Clark had taken it upon himself to rebuild everything. With his strength and speed, it hadn't taken him long. In fact most people in Smallville didn't even realise that the farm itself had been damaged although everyone knew that the crops had been burned.

Pretty much everyone in Smallville had seen Superman ripping the water tank from the tower overlooking the town, and they reasoned that the smoke coming from the Kent farm had been the corn, probably set alight due to intense sunshine, at least that's what the insurance company concluded. By the time they had gotten to the farm to check the damage, the house and barn had been rebuilt and since they couldn't find any source for the fire, they concluded that it must have been the sun. The reality of course was that General Zod had destroyed the crops with his heat vision.

Using his x-ray vision, Clark scanned the area, searching for signs of his mother and fiancé.

"Phew, not here…maybe I should run before they get back…"

"Run where?"

Startled, Clark turned around, spotting Lois standing, arms crossed, behind him, with the look of a woman scorned on her face.

"Um…uh…gee Lois, how come I didn't hear you?" Clark asked, reverting back to his stuttering, mumbling routine that he used so regularly in Metropolis.

"How long have I known you Clark? I'm a woman; I know how to get around your powers better than anyone. And quit with the mild mannered act OK! It doesn't work when you have that cape on."

Looking down at himself, Clark saw he was still wearing the world-famous Superman outfit. Taking a deep breath, striking a pose he spoke, deepening the sound of his voice.

"Well Ms. Lane, the world needs Superman. If I can help the world in any way, it's my responsibility to do so."

They stared at each other, before a little smile began to form on Lois' lips. Suddenly they were laughing, hugging and kissing each other.

"I really am sorry Lois…"

"I know Clark, I know."

They kissed again gently, Superman wrapping his cape around the woman he loved.

"…How touching…"

Looking around, Clark laid eyes on four strange women, spreading out to surround the Man of Steel.

"So this is the famous Kryptonian…Kal-El is it? Hmpf…just a man…"

Walking in front of Lois to protect her, Superman looked at each woman in turn before focussing on the woman who had spoken, the obvious leader.

"And you are?"

A smirk grew on the woman's face, "Formal introductions? Very well…behind you is Harriet…or Mad Harriet to her enemies. On your left is Stompa…you may be able to fly but on the ground she "shakes things up," while on your right stands Bernadeth, and I am Lashina. We are the Female Furies and right now our fury is aimed at you, son of Krypton."

Lois couldn't help but laugh. Her upfront stubborn nature refusing to let her see any danger from these women.

"Female Furies? What are you, Pop Idol rejects?"

Suddenly the ground began to shake, a violent earthquake focussed under the feet of Lois and Clark, causing them to fall. Over their shoulders, the woman Stompa smiled viciously as Harriet lunged at Lois with her sharp claws, only to be caught by Superman and thrown backwards.

Gathering Lois up into his arms, Clark flew her to a safe distance, before returning to face these strange women. They attacked together, kicking and punching, but their blows didn't have any effect on the Man of Steel.

From out of nowhere, a beam of light struck Superman on the chest, he became light-headed, the strength beginning to drain from his body. Turning he saw another woman, Bloody Mary, beams shooting from her eyes, attempting to draw the energy from Superman's body.

Superman decided to match her eye-beams with some of his own, blasting Mary with a strong surge of heat energy from his own eyes, burning her retina, as she screamed out in horror. The Fury, Bernadeth approached and held a knife, burning in flame to Superman's throat.

"No!!" Lashina shouted after her, "Darkseid wants him alive."

Ignoring the order, Bernadeth pressed the knife right up to Superman's neck, who was still recovering from Bloody Mary's attack. Lashina, frustrated at Bernadeth's unwillingness to follow orders, struck out at the disobedient woman, knocking her backwards before attaching a small tracking device to the back of Superman's neck.

"Desaad, now!" she said, speaking into a communicator before witnessing a blinding light surround Superman, as he was teleported away.

As the Furies teleported off the farm, only Lashina and Bernadeth were left, staring ferociously at each other.

"The next time you disobey orders or undermine my leadership, I will kill you."

"Leadership? What leadership? I should be in charge of this operation, not you Lashina."

The two women walked around in a circle, shouting profanities back and forth, neither willing to back down.

"If you want to challenge me then so be it."

Both women charged at each other, throwing fierce punches in anger, brutally kicking out, falling to the floor but continuing to fight even as they rolled around in the dirt. Lashina managing to stand, grabbing Bernadeth by the hair, dragging her along the mud in a humiliating fashion before her opponent in an amazing feat of athleticism and flexibility, managed to lift herself up in a handstand, wrapping her legs around Lashina's neck and dragging her down before rolling her over.

Bernadeth, towered over the Furies leader, ready to plunge her burning faren-knife into her enemy, Lashina however had other ideas. Grabbing the knife and twisting it around, she thrust the blade into Bernadeth's chest, piercing her heart and killing her. Standing up, looking down at the corpse, Lashina activated a switch on her communicator, transporting off the farm in a flash of light.

Lois hid in shock…she had watched helpless as these strangers abducted the man she loved. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to understand what had happened. Martha Kent, having explained to the guests that the planned wedding wasn't going to happen, drove up to the farm to find Lois in a heap on the ground, crying and looking up into the sky.

Space:

High above the Earth, Lashina arrived on Darkseid's ship to be greeted by Desaad, devoted servant of Darkseid.

"Well?"

"He's secure, he won't be getting through that barrier anytime soon."

"Good, where is Lord Darkseid? He must be informed."

Desaad looked at the battered woman, "In his chambers, he's waiting for you…Lashina, where's my sister? Where's Bernadeth?"

Lashina, covered in bruises from her fight with Bernadeth, looked Desaad in the eye,

"She…she didn't make it."

With that, she walked off towards her master's quarters with Desaad looking on, muttering to himself…"Neither will you Lashina…"

Lashina walked quietly into the dim-lit chambers of her master, Darkseid. His towering figure turned away from her, looking out onto the Earth.

"It is done my lord, the Kryptonian has been taken."

"You have done well Lashina, come here so you may be rewarded." Darkseid replied, beckoning her forward. As she stood before him, she began to shake, nervous in the presence of her god.

"Look at that world…so full of life, so rich in natural beauty. Naïve fools, living their lives oblivious to what's about to happen to them."

"Y-y-yes…"

"In the coming war, those who defy me shall die, those who remain loyal to my goal shall be rewarded. Are you loyal to me Lashina?"

"Of course, my lord…always."

Suddenly, Lashina felt Darkseid's hand around her neck, lifting her off the ground, slowly choking her.

"Fool. Why do you lie to your god? Did you not realise I would see your little altercation with Bernadeth?"

Struggling to reply due to the hand squeezing her throat, Lashina forces her voice through.

"But my king, she defied you...she…she…tried to kill the Kryptonian..."

"Regardless, her death was not by my decree, she was not to die unless I wished it…and I did not wish it then. I will not tolerate this kind of action. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y…yes my…lord…"

"Good…" Darkseid, turned his hand, snapping the neck of Lashina, whose body went limp and fell to the ground, lifeless…dead.

"Now, I think it is time I pay a visit to our new guest…."

Surrounded by a strange energy shield, Kal-El stood, reaching out to break the barrier, flinching in pain.

"…I wouldn't bother…son of Krypton, that shield is a relic from your home world. Designed to keep your species imprisoned."

The voice of Darkseid echoed throughout the room as he emerged from the shadows to face Superman.

"Welcome to your new home Kal-El, together you and I will usher in a new dawn for your precious Earth, and the universe itself."

"Who are you?"

Darkseid laughed a little before replying.

"I am Omega, I am the end

I am neither foe nor friend

I am a god of men

I am the origin of hatred, the flame of revenge.

I am the destruction of life

The coming of night

I am in the shadows where you hide

I am Darkseid…

A little rhyme parents teach their children about me on one of the many worlds I have conquered…but there will be time for talk later Kal-El. For now you must rest."

As Darkseid turned to leave, Superman answered after him.

"I don't need rest, and I won't rest until you are revealed for what you are and defeated."

Darkseid smirked menacingly, "But you must rest…and you will."

As Darkseid left, a huge jolt of energy, shot through Superman's body, causing him to shout out in pain as it paralysed him, falling to the floor as he began to lose consciousness until eventually everything was dark.

Smallville:

"Where are you going?" Martha Kent asked as she watched Lois get into her car.

"Gotham. There's someone there I need to see…"

"Can he help?"

"I hope so," Lois replied, forcing herself not to cry as she started the car before driving away from the farm. She wasn't sure if the man she was going to see would be able to find Clark. She'd only met him once but she knew his reputation. He was a vigilante…a detective…one of the best in the world. But he was also a billionaire with vast resources, thanks to the success of his company, Wayne Enterprises.

As she drove, Lois remembered the first time she met Clark. He was unassuming, dorky…Lois hadn't paid much attention to him, but that changed when Perry White teamed them up and while she was reluctant at first, they eventually became very close.

Of course the first time she saw him as Superman, she didn't recognise him. In the blue suit, he was a different person, calm, confident…assured and comfortable with his abilities but never arrogant. Those were strange times. After getting her big chance by landing an interview with the President on Air Force One, things went completely wrong when the plane was caught in a storm, being hit with lightning strikes.

As the plane fell to Earth, a miracle happened. From out of nowhere, a stranger who had unbelievable, god-like powers, showed up and prevented the plane from crashing. The next morning, newspapers and television stations were bombarded with calls regarding sightings of this miracle man and over the next few days, he appeared again and again, always seeming to show up whenever there was trouble around. Thanks to Lois Lane's article in the Daily Planet, he became known by the nickname Superman.

That seemed like a lifetime ago, and now, as Lois headed towards Gotham, she prayed that the man she loved was alright.

Darkseid's Ship:

Superman woke to blinding pain shooting through his body. Rings of kryptonite radiation enveloped him, causing his body to react violently, his skin burning as large drills bore into his flesh. Without the energy of the sun, Superman was becoming weaker and weaker as every bone in his body was broken, one by one.

In the shadows behind him, Kal-El could here the voice of Desaad, taunting him.

"Don't scream yet Kal-El, we're just getting started…"

As Darkseid's fleet edged it's way closer and closer to Earth, on the lead ship, the maniacal Desaad, favoured by his master for his adeptness at torture, was taking real pleasure and gaining immense satisfaction at the pain his subject was experiencing. Superman, the greatest hero of them all, was experiencing agony unlike anything he could ever have conceived of.

His body broken, his blue suit covered in blood and sweat, Clark found himself longing for times past, times growing up on the farm. He tried to force his mind to reject the pain, to concentrate on his memories to help him endure the ongoing assault, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape the agony.

As his natural optimism and faith were stripped away, Clark found himself just wanting to go home. As his pulsed slowed, a metallic spear-like object was thrust through his chest, breaking through his ribs and piercing his heart. Within seconds, his body had given up and the Man of Steel lay lifeless on the hard metal floor.

Desaad allowed himself a sly grin before turning to his assistant.

"Revive him…"

Kal-El's eyes opened. He looked around the darkened room, for a moment not knowing where he was.

"…Don't think that even death can save you here Kal-El. Darkseid has great power, and he will have you killed and brought back over and over again."

Desaad gave a terrifying laugh before beginning his torture of the Man of Steel all over again.


	2. Issue 27

Issue #27 – A STOLEN BIRTHRIGHT

Gotham City:

Having parked her car, Lois Lane walked up the steps to the front door of Wayne Manor, thinking only about Clark, praying that he was alright. She wasn't sure how she was going to approach Bruce Wayne. Should she reveal that she knows who he is? Or should she wait and see if he could help her as Bruce Wayne or not before playing her ace? At this point, it didn't matter. All she really cared about was finding Clark. The door opened, revealing Bruce's long-time butler and friend, Alfred.

"May I help you Ma'am?"

"I'm here to see Bruce Wayne, my name is Lois Lane, I'm a reporter for the Daily Planet in Metropolis…"

"I'm afraid Mr. Wayne is rather busy at the moment…"

"Prowling the rooftops of Gotham?" Lois asked sarcastically, prompting Alfred to laugh nervously.

"I'm afraid I don't quite follow you Miss Lane…"

Over Alfred's shoulder, Lois spotted a familiar figure walking down the stairs inside the house. Bruce Wayne, Gotham's favourite son, and billionaire immediately recognised the reporter from Metropolis.

"Alfred, it's alright…what can I do for you Miss Lane?"

"I need your help…or Batman's…it doesn't matter which."

"Batman? I'm afraid I can't help you there. I suppose you could try asking Commissioner Gordon to activate the bat-signal…"

"Yeah I thought about that," Lois replied, "But I thought, why should I make Batman come to me, when I can just go to him?"

"You'll have to forgive me Miss Lane, I'm afraid I'm no Edward Nigma, riddles just aren't my thing."

"Let me be clear then…you're Batman, and don't try to deny it…we have a mutual friend…you know, red cape…and glasses."

Suddenly it dawned on Bruce that Clark Kent must have told her. He wondered for a moment if he go down to the cave and get the kryptonite he had stored there ever since his first encounter with the Man of Steel and pay him a visit, but Lois interrupted his thought, seemingly knowing what Bruce was thinking.

"Clark didn't tell me…I figured it out myself when he told me his own secret identity."

"If you're looking for a story here, you won't find one…"

"I'm not here to reveal your secret to the world Bruce…I need your help."

Space:

"…Resurrection complete…bodily functions restored to normal capacity…"

Superman opened his eyes, his vision distorted at first. It had seemed like days, weeks even, since he had embraced Lois…but it had been hours. He had been killed and revived over and over, his mind unable to separate reality from fantasy anymore. He coped by remembering times long since passed. But his will to carry on was fading fast.

He was a normal human being now. His kryptonite prison combined with the lack of any sunlight had drained him of his powers. But still he fought on, still he resisted. However each time he was brought back from death, his spirit and faith depleted, bit by bit. Each time he was close to death, he began wishing that it would be the last. That he would not be revived.

He felt something sharp against his spine, pushing through, causing him to cry out in agony. He felt electricity being shocked through his now fragile body. The floor was red, stained with the blood that had been dripping through wounds all over his body for hours.

Every bone in his body was broken, then healed only to be shattered again. On and on it went. The hero of Earth, the man of tomorrow had been reduced to a quivering mass. He felt nothing now but pain. Even the soothing images of his beloved were gone from his mind now, to be replaced by fear and a growing understanding that he would never escape.

Finally the spear ripped through his heart. He was dead…

There was nothing, only darkness. Then suddenly, a blinding flash of white light. And there he was, Jor-El.

"…My son…you must endure the pain. You must fight on…you are humanity's only hope…"

"Father…"

And then Jor-El's eyes were red. His skin was covered in blisters…he was on fire. The heat was unbearable. The temperature soared as the father he never knew was burned alive in front of him. Kal-El tried to help but he couldn't move. He was paralysed. Then he could feel his own body on fire. Flames rising up around him, he screamed…

Clark opened his eyes. He looked at his skin, seeing the scars from the torture he was enduring. But he was alive. The now familiar green glow of his prison all around him.

"…Welcome back Kal-El. The world of the living awaits you once again."

Clark looked up. It was Darkseid, the one responsible for everything that was happening to him.

"You…why…why are you doing this to me?"

"You are doing it to yourself. Your idealistic views, your morals and diseased ethics are an abomination. You are a being of great strength and power. Yet you choose to save these pathetic people, when you could rule them."

"They are a great race…"

"They do not deserve your empathy son of Krypton. They do not deserve your mercy or your faith in them. These humans have spent history killing each other, judging others on their beliefs, the colour of their skin, going to war over trivial matters. They are savages and what they deserve is to be wiped from existence."

"No…they are more civilised than you. They have problems but they are a young race."

"Perhaps…there's no need to worry Kal-El. I do not wish to destroy them. Only to control them. Their concept of free will is irrelevant. Soon they will learn that their place in the universe is servitude. They are slaves…they just don't know it yet…I admire your strength of will Kal-El. Many have been tortured in this manner before, but none have endured as much as you. Your continued faith in mankind, your power is commendable. That is why you are here."

Clark looked at the one who had taken him prisoner. Darkseid's imposing figure was intimidating to say the least.

"I respect you Kal-El. Your power is great. Had I not taken action, you would have surely posed a threat to me. But your fate will be the same as those whom you protect. You will serve me."

"I will never be your slave…and there are others, those who will oppose you and defeat you."

"Ah yes…Earth is home to many powerful beings. I have witnessed their power. I have seen the Amazon, watched the chosen one of the guardians…they are strong. But you are their strongest weapon Kal-El. Without you fighting with them, their power becomes insignificant."

"Kill me then…"

"You long for death. I see it in your eyes. Your body is weak. Your mind is ready to collapse. No…I have other plans for you. Your body will be destroyed over and over…but each time you die, your mind remains intact. I need only repair your body, and you live again. However I am aware of the mental strains, the images that flash through your head. Each time it happens you become weaker. When you reach your final moments, when your mind and body reach the point where you cannot be revived again…then you will be mine."

Wayne Manor:

"…Is there anything else you can think of? Any clues or maybe something that seems unimportant?"

Lois struggled to regain her composure as she put her trust in a man who had always had doubts about Clark.

"That's all there is Bruce. One minute he was fighting these strange women, the next he had vanished in a ball of light."

Bruce didn't speak. His mind went through all the information Lois had given him, searching for answers. He had spent years mistrusting Superman, but he had always respected him. Now Clark needed his help. He just didn't know where to begin.

"…Come on. Do something. Stop sitting there like a statue. If Batman can't find an answer then maybe Bruce Wayne can. I know Wayne Enterprises has connections with the government. See if they know anything. Please…"

"I'll try…Look, the best thing you can do right now is try to calm down. Stay here, and if you need anything, Alfred will look after you."

"Where are you going?"

"To find some answers…"

Space:

High above, Darkseid was making final preparations for his attack on Earth. His fleet was breaking formation, getting into position to begin the assault. On the planet below, the people of Earth were blissfully unaware of the war that was about to begin. The cloaked ships, hidden from military and commercial tracking stations were in their final checks. Their weapons charged, each ship, from large battle cruisers to smaller fighters were making ready.

Inside the flagship, Desaad continued his vicious and unrelenting torture of Superman. Kal-El had forgotten who he was, where he was…all that flashed through his mind now was the knowledge that he existed to suffer.

Darkseid looked out of a window in his chambers, his gaze fixed on the blue planet he had come to wage war on. He heard the door open, and without turning to greet the visitor, he waited for his minion to speak.

"Final check is complete my lord. All ships report ready. They are awaiting your orders."

Darkseid remained silent. Another world was his for the taking. Another world ready to be conquered. And in the heart of the ship, their only hope was learning the meaning of damnation.

"Lord Darkseid...your orders?"

Darkseid allowed himself a little smile.

"Attack……"

Metropolis:

Inside the Daily Planet, Jimmy Olsen and his boss, Perry White were stunned into silence, watching live news reports coming in from all over the world. They had come from nowhere, and now they were everywhere. Countless alien craft descending from the skies. Armed with his camera, Jimmy Olsen headed to the roof of the Daily Planet, looking out over the city he saw the invasion with his own eyes.

On the streets, dozens of landing craft deployed hundreds of foot soldiers, armed with advanced weaponry. The National Guard and the army were struggling to hold back the threat. Gunfire raged as bullets flew through the air to find their targets. Rounds from tanks and missile launchers were fired at the battle cruisers. Fierce explosions and large fireballs could be seen citywide.

One of the larger battle cruisers hovered above, firing a bright red beam from an energy cannon, toppling the building that was once the home of LexCorp. As the building fell, it crushed many of the people below, who had been trying to get away from the battle.

Darkseid's army advanced through the streets of Metropolis. The commander of terrifying force noticed a woman and a child, hugging each other, calling out for Superman to help them. He raised his weapon and fired, killing them both. The streets were paved with the blood of the innocent. Anyone with a gun, be he civilian or in uniform was being encouraged to put up a fight. But the invading forces were overwhelming the city's defences.

In the skies above, another battle was ongoing. Fighters from a nearby airbase had been deployed to deal with incoming enemy craft. These attack drones weren't very manoeuvrable, but their sheer numbers were making it difficult for the American pilots to handle. Squadrons of fighters, dodging and weaving through the swarm of drones, targeting their enemy. Missiles and countless rounds of ammunition were shot at the invaders. Radio chatter was constant throughout the dogfight as the pilots desperately tried to defend the city, while trying to survive the onslaught.

"…Bogey at 10 o' clock, Hawk 2 dive down so I can get a clear shot…"

"Copy that…" An explosion ripped through the air as the target was destroyed.

"…I have a lock, firing…" Another hit.

"Good shooting…"

Suddenly another wave of drones burned through the atmosphere, taking out four fighters instantly with energy blasts.

"…Sir there's too many of them. We have to pull back..."

"…Negative, stay where you are pilot, we ain't retreating…"

More flashes of light, rocking explosions and loud bangs as both sides lost fighters. The battle raged. On the ground and in the air, it was obvious that the American military was proving to be no match for Darkseid's fleet and without Superman, there seemed to be little hope.

New York City:

The weather front that had battered the coastline earlier in the day had now been replaced by a different kind of storm. The Statue of Liberty had been completely blown away by one of the cruisers primary energy cannons and the streets of New York were now empty, save for the two opposing military forces.

However unlike in Metropolis, the combined forces of the military were winning this battle. Leading the fight was the ambassador for the Amazons, Wonder Woman. While attending a council meeting at the UN, she bore witness to the first wave of attacks from Darkseid's armada. Leaping into action, she flew straight out of the landmark building and into the heat of battle.

Leading the fight, the Amazon easily disposed of the incoming foot soldiers, her great strength unmatched by her foes. Looking up into the sky, she saw attack drones shooting down fighter jets with ease. Rising into the air, she stretched out her arms, making fists and flew straight through one of the drones like a missile.

As it exploded behind her, she was already focussing on her next target. As energy fire threatened her, she deflected it with ease, then striking powerful kicks and punches, tearing the enemy fighters apart.

Fighting off wave after wave of enemy drones, she was grateful for the arrival of more Air Force fighters. Together they struck telling blows, diminishing the enemy forces. Returning to ground level, Wonder Woman began disabling and destroying the weapons on the landing craft.

Sensing that the troops now had the situation well in hand, she looked out to sea to find three giant cruisers hovering, engaged in a battle with naval battleships.

Flying out, she landed on the main deck of the lead ship, watching as the gun turrets opened up, firing on the enemy cruisers. Suddenly an energy blast destroyed a nearby ship, causing Wonder Woman to pray silently for a moment in respect to the lives that had been lost.

Missile launches were engaged on all the remaining battle ships, all targeting the same cruiser. Diana looked on as the missiles got a direct hit, causing small explosions throughout the cruiser as it fell into the sea before being destroyed completely in a ball of flame.

"One down…two to go…" she muttered to herself.

Taking off, Diana flew to the second cruiser, attempting to disable the fearsome cannons, however she had to quickly dodge to evade incoming fire from the secondary weapons platform on the cruiser. Flying high up, then diving back down, twisting and turning, trying desperately to avoid laser fire aimed at her. She moved closer to the last cruiser but found she had to escape energy blasts from there too.

Soon both cruisers were charging and firing their primary cannons, both aiming for her. She couldn't escape them, they seemed to be able to target and follow her automatically.

As if things couldn't get any worse, the Amazon was now having to dodge friendly fire as well, since the battleships in the water had begun firing again. She was running out of tricks and she knew it. Then a thought crossed her mind. Wonder Woman began flying in circles.

The officers below on the battleships were just as confused as the operators inside the large cruisers, but they stopped firing to see what, if anything the hero had in mind. In fact, Diana did have a plan, she had been counting the seconds between the time it took both cruisers to recharge and fire after each shot.

She was counting on the cannons following her…she would need to time it perfectly. Both ships fired their primary cannons at Wonder Woman. Dodging she began to count as she stopped flying and just hovered, knowing both cannons were locked onto her.

"Wait for it…"

The hum from each cruiser as their cannons charged was deafening to her ears.

"Wait for it…"

She could almost sense that the cannons were nearing full power. She took a deep breath, attempting to keep calm even as the cruisers were getting closer and closer to firing their primary weapons at her.

"Waaaaiiitt…"

Remaining still in mid air, Wonder Woman counted down the seconds as the cannons reached their maximum yield potential. Surges of energy passed through the cruisers as the cannons prepared to fire.

"NOW!"

Suddenly she wasn't hovering anymore. Diana was flying through the air, streaking across the sky, the cannons of each cruiser following her as she passed between them. They fired.

Missing their target by mere inches, the powerful energy beams from each cannon kept going, striking new targets…each other. Both cruisers were struck by the blasts, and Diana watched as they were hit by internal explosions. Flying to a safe distance the Amazon looked on as both cruisers reached critical states and exploded with a loud bang, debris falling into the ocean as both cruisers were destroyed.

The crews of the ships below cheered as the sky was light up by the explosions. Diana, satisfied, flew back towards land, to ensure that all was well in the city before moving on to the next battle zone where she may be needed.

High above the clouds Darkseid was on his ship, watching battles unfold on large monitors. Some he was winning, some he was losing. All over the world, his fleet were engaged in war with Earth's nations. He admitted to himself that he had underestimated the heroes of Earth, however they couldn't hold out forever and it wouldn't be long before he unleashed his greatest weapon on the world.

In his cell, Superman was forced to watch the war on giant screens, only being shown battles in which the people of Earth were losing…including the battle in the city of Metropolis. Looking on as the people he had protected for so long were killed in their thousands, Clark wept. His thoughts were of Lois, not knowing if she was ok, or even alive in the midst of this war. He didn't scream as the blades were sliced into his arms and legs, he just accepted that it was his fate.

All over the world, a war was being waged. Casualties in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas were devastating. Darkseid's Death Stalkers, giant battle cruisers were causing fear and destruction. One blast from their primary weapons was enough to destroy Houston, Edge City Sydney and London while other major cities across the globe also suffered major losses as the normal-sized battle cruisers did massive amounts of damage.

However there was hope. Wonder Woman had almost single-handedly defeated forces in New York and Washington D.C. while The Flash and Green Lantern had teamed up, defeating forces in Los Angeles and Miami and they were now making their way across the country, fighting off enemy forces as they made their way towards Metropolis to help the falling soldiers in the war effort there.

But as news reports came in, there was one question on everyone's lips. Where in the world was Superman? Darkseid's forces were unrelenting. For every battle they lost, they won five more. Earth's heroes were being overwhelmed and needed help. They needed Superman. But the Man of Steel wasn't even on the planet.

On Darkseid's ship, Kal-El watched as the human race was in peril. He cried openly now. His emotions taking over as he tried to summon up strength to break free of his prison and return to the planet to help defeat the great armies of Darkseid.

Clark clenched his fists, tensed his muscles and searched for strength…but there was none to find. It had been replaced by pain as Desaad continued to taunt him. His body mutilated, blood being drained from his veins, electricity passing through his body frying his nervous system. His heart stopped…he died.

Clark opened his eyes. He was alive again. On and on it went. Clark didn't care anymore why Darkseid kept bringing him back. With each death, his will grew weaker. Kal-El knew he was finished. There was no more fight left in him and he was slowly going insane.

He screamed. His tendons were severed, his internal organs compressed and then filled with air until they exploded, killing him. Then, as before he woke up. At first thinking it was just a nightmare then realising he had been dead. He felt nothing this time around. His mind had disconnected from the pain, his spirit had been torn to shreds.

When his eyes opened again, he stared at Desaad and Darkseid, struggling to form words as he opened his mouth to speak. He wasn't entirely sure what he was saying, but the evil he was confronting seemed to find it funny, smiling back at him, almost laughing as he spoke.

"Just…kill me…"


	3. Issue 28

Issue #28 – FALLEN

After a day of torture at the hands of Darkseid, Kal-El's spirit had been broken. He knew he would never feel the healing rays of the sun, the soothing kiss from Lois' lips, he would never feel anything again except pain. Superman was dead, replaced by an empty shell, a mere shadow of the man he once was…nothing but a memory.

Gotham City:

The sun set over the horizon. Lights came on all over the city to push back the darkness. There were no mob enforcers on the streets of Gotham this night however. No back alley brawls, no illegal dealings in the shadows. On this night, the entire population of this crime-ridden city were locked up in their homes. There was a bigger threat than gangsters in the city tonight.

High up in the night sky, a famous signal covered the moon. The sign of a bat. Deep underground, a menacing figure watched his TV as his nemesis battled the armies of Darkseid. A wry smile spread across his face as the alien invaders sought to destroy Batman.

"Well Batty boy…even I would find it hard to laugh in this situation. Nevertheless…Ha Ha…" Joker laughed insanely as his attention was held to news reports and live coverage on the streets above.

Batman flew in his customised jet plane. Behind him, attack drones chased and fired. Ahead of him, a battle cruiser hovered, waiting for the plane to come into range. Missiles launched from the wings of the plane, homing in on the cruiser, causing large explosions. Pulling up, Batman flew in a loop, ending up behind the drones. A spray of bullets streaked across the sky as the drones were destroyed one by one.

"…Bruce…what's going on out there?"

The voice of Lois Lane on the radio. She had gone to Gotham to seek Bruce Wayne's help in finding Clark. But as Darkseid's forces descended from space, Batman was called into action.

"I haven't seen anything like this before. Whatever they are…they're not from this world…"

Despite being struck by a barrage of missiles, the battle cruiser was still causing devastation, destroying buildings in downtown Gotham. Thinking for a moment, Batman made a decision.

"Lois, stay at the house…I promise I'll do what I can to find Clark…Wait for me to contact you…"

Pressing an array of switches and buttons on a control panel, Batman activated the jets self-destruct and set it on a collision course with the cruiser. Dodging laser fire, he went closer and closer, waiting for the right moment. As he reached the point of no return, Bruce activated the ejection protocol and was catapulted from the plane.

His cape extended and hardened, creating a glider as he fell softly and landed on the city streets. Looking up to the sky he watched as the plane collided with the battle cruiser just as the self-destruct countdown reached zero. A tremendous explosion ripped through the battle cruiser blowing it to pieces.

Batman found he was now surrounded by foot soldiers. They attacked, punching and kicking. Batman defended himself. Blocking a punch, pushing up against the soldiers arm, twisting and breaking it before turning in a roundhouse kick, smacking against another's face, sending him to the floor. He heard a shot.

Reacting instinctively, Batman jumped and flipped backwards. Looking behind him he saw a foot soldier unconscious on the floor with another costumed hero standing above him. Nightwing.

"Dick…"

Dick Grayson, once known as Robin, had left to strike out on his own and make a name for himself without being in Batman's shadow.

"Listen Bruce…don't thank me, don't start acting like a parent or a brother and start talking about friendship or partners or any of that crap. I'm not here for you."

"Why are you here?"

"Haven't you heard? Edge City has been completely blown away, Coast is in flames and Metropolis is under siege. This is happening everywhere Bruce. All over the world. I'll be damned if I let it happen here too. So don't talk to me…just fight."

For the first time in years, they fought side by side. On the other side of the city, Barbara Gordon donned her Batgirl costume one more time and headed for the battle zone. No words were spoken as the trio battled against the alien army.

Even the notorious villains of Gotham were battling. This threat was a danger to them all. For one night, heroes and villains battled together to fend off Darkseid's forces.

The infamous Joker walked the streets of Gotham, laughing as he surveyed the damage caused in the battle. As he came upon the war zone, he witnessed Batman, Batgirl and Nightwing fighting foe after foe.

Their agility proving a great asset as they dodged and parried blows before hitting out. Walking straight into the fight, Joker raised his gun and fired, targeting a soldier who was sneaking up behind Batman. Totally shocked, Batman looked at Joker.

"Don't look so surprised Bats…I don't want you dead. Besides, sneaking up on you is no fun at all. There are far more creative and enjoyable ways to kill you."

Joker began laughing, the smile on his face showing his insanity as he discharged his weapon again and again, bullets finding the heads of aliens.

"One Mississippi…two Mississippi…."

Joker counted each shot as Batman walked towards him. Joker stared at the caped crusader, extending his hand.

"So Batman…are you gonna shake the hand of the man who saved your life?"

Bruce looked down at Joker's hand then back at his smiling face. Batman extended his hand, suddenly raising it, his fist striking Joker square in the nose, knocking him to the floor.

"Your welcome…" Joker laughed before his eyes rolled back and he passed out.

Space:

Darkseid stared at Superman, who had a collar around his neck that generated random shocks to his body, causing him great pain. Clark's mind was broken. His body was destroyed.

"Tell me Kal-El, do you know of the anti-life equation?"

Clark didn't answer. He no longer had the strength or the will.

"I have searched for a long time. The power to control all life…everywhere. I believe it is here."

Darkseid looked out of a window, his eyes viewing the planet Earth.

"Everyone has it…parts of it. But humans…more than any other race in the universe, free will is evident here. Buried deep in the 90 of unused brainpower, lies the formula to become a true god and destroy the free will of all life. There was another world where the entire equation could be found. Your home planet of Krypton. But as you know…they destroyed themselves."

Clark looked out, the light of the sun shining through the window, slowly restoring his strength. However Kal-El was so far gone he didn't even notice. His body was becoming stronger but his mind had been shattered.

"You were right Kal-El. Humans have potential. They could be a great race. But free will is a curse to them. They are similar to Kryptonians…their curiosity, their need to discover greater power. Their inevitable destruction. Like Krypton, Earth is a danger. The humans will destroy themselves. That is why you are here Kal-El. That is why you must help me."

Darkseid smiled to himself, the final stage of his plan was beginning to take shape. Earth was a war zone. The entire planet was engaged in a horrific battle. Millions were dead, countless more badly hurt. For the first time in the history of the human race, the world was fighting as one, working together for one common goal. But it just didn't seem to be enough.

On Earth, the fighting stopped for a few moments as giant holographic images of Darkseid appeared across the planet. People watched in horror as the invader delivered his message.

"Citizens of Earth…for too long the human race has remained complacent in their domination of this world. Today marks the beginning of a new order. My reign begins now. All who oppose me will be severely punished…"

The image blurred, then focussed again. But instead of Darkseid's menacing face, the hologram showed Superman in chains, bloodied and broken.

"…This is what awaits anyone who defies me."

The image faded and cut out. Those who had seen and heard it spent the night in tears. The vision of a tortured Superman burned into their brains. In Wayne Manor, Lois Lane sat in tears. Crying openly for the man she loved.

Lois had seen the message, she had seen Clark in chains. Now she couldn't hold back her fear. She screamed as tears streamed down her cheeks, before being overwhelmed by her emotions and passing out.

In Smallville, Martha Kent and Lana Lang were holding onto each other, also crying. The entire world had seen their hero reduced to a broken, bloodied man. The fighting raged again. Heroes battled, soldiers did their jobs. The war continued through the night. Darkseid's intimidation had backfired.

Instead of instilling fear and doubt in the warriors of Earth, the image of Superman only served to give them hidden strength and resolve. Giving hem a determination to defeat the invaders and to win the day. They fought for themselves, they fought for the fate of the planet, and they fought for Superman.

Metropolis:

Two heroes, two forces of good arrived in the city. One, Barry Allen, known to the world as the Flash. The other, Hal Jordan, a protector of Earth, the Green Lantern. Two heroes, fighting side by side against the invading armies of the villainous Darkseid.

They fought to protect the people; they fought for the freedom of all mankind…they fought for Superman. Green blasts of energy filled the night sky as Jordan used the powerful ring on his finger to battle incoming drones and cruisers. On the ground, Flash whizzed through troops like a knife through butter.

Gotham:

The battle seemed to be won. Darkseid's forces wee in retreat as the caped crusader and his companions drove them out of the city. Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson followed Bruce Wayne as they attempted to destroy the invaders.

They had seen the image of Superman and they were determined to make sure his sacrifice wasn't in vain. A bright red light shone through the dark sky, Batman looked upwards to find the source as a colossal beam of energy shot through the clouds towards the city.

Metropolis:

The Flash, and the Green Lantern continued to push back Darkseid's troops. Flash sped along the roadside, moving so fast any object caught in his path would be totally blown away as Lantern flew skywards, using his ring to create a large hammer-like object, which he used to smash through one of the bulk cruisers firing on the city.

As it exploded, both Barry and Hal were stunned into silence as a beam of energy struck the city from high above, tearing up the city streets and obliterating most of downtown Metropolis.

Some of the larger skyscrapers were vaporised, while others crumbled and collapsed. Thousands, who had fled to the buildings to escape the fighting, were killed instantly. Men, women and children were destroyed without remorse.

Gotham:

Batman clawed his way up and out of a large pile of rubble that had fallen on him during the energy attack on the city. Looking around, he surveyed the damage, realising that a lot of people were surely dead.

He saw the Joker, a large sharpened piece of shattered glass stuck through his chest. As the maniac lay there lifeless, he still had a menacing and insane smile on his face. Turning, he went to look for Batgirl and Nightwing.

"Dick…Barbara…"

Not getting a response, Bruce activated a homing beacon on his belt. Tracking the signal, he came upon the remains of a toppled building. Acting swiftly, he began dragging pieces of rock and cement away, digging deeper until eventually he staggered back in shock.

"No…"

Before him, his companions laid dead. Huddled together, they had desperately tried to shield each other from the falling debris. Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson were motionless, their bodies cold and lifeless. Batman pulled off his cowl, the mask that had protected his identity for so long. Not caring anymore who saw him, Bruce Wayne screamed into the night sky.

Space:

High above the surface of the Earth, the largest ship in the fleet seemed to open up, firing another shocking blast towards the planet, decimating another city. Inside, Clark watched in despair as the world he knew was changed forever. Darkseid smiled as the Earth was ravaged by blasts from the fleet's most powerful weapon.

"You can stop this Kal-El. The sun has been shining through for quite some time now. Your strength has returned. Use it. Strike me down."

Clark's strength and power had indeed returned, but he no longer had the will to harness it. He was a broken man. Darkseid laughed, then nodded to Desaad, who placed a strange device on Superman's head.

"This is a neural imager Kal-El. It will show you what has gone before and what is yet to come."

The imager flashed to life. Clark's eyes were closed but he could see. He saw the lives of early man, the slaves of Egypt, the Greco-Persian Wars…

"This is the race you have so much faith in Kal-El…they have great potential but as you can see, their bloodthirsty nature…their lust for power…their greed and murderous instincts are too powerful to overcome on their own."

As images of the Roman Empire flashed through his mind, Clark saw the gladiators of the Coliseum, then forward to the bloody horrors of the crusades, the annihilation of the native tribes of the Americas.

Tears streamed down over Superman's face as he witnessed the atrocities of the world wars, the persecution and genocide of the Holocaust, the short-lived cries of the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as their world was ended by the atomic bomb.

Superman felt every death, every cell in his body was in agony as he was shown these images.

"These humans…look what they have done with free will. They cannot be allowed to govern their own fates anymore Kal-El. They call you Superman…be that man Kal-El. Help them…don't let them destroy themselves…"

Clark gasped as he saw the Earth scarred, in flames. Bodies lay dead everywhere, their corpses rotting, and no sign of life anywhere. The sky dark, except for brief flashes of lightning, the atmosphere, poisoned and defiled.

"This is the fate of mankind if you do not act. That is why I am here. To control their lives so they won't make the same mistakes your Kryptonian people did…"

Clark screamed as he saw an image of himself, holding a dead Lois in his arms before everything began to shake. The Earth exploded. The imager turned itself off as Clark opened his eyes.

"Become a true hero Kal-El, fulfil your destiny…help them!"

The imager started up again. Clark was shown the same images over and over as Darkseid attempted to poison his mind.

"Truth and Justice…what you are seeing is truth Kal-El…my domination of this world is justice…"

Clark was no longer broken. He could feel the strength in his body, the power that flowed through him.

"…But you Kal-El…you are hope…you are the only one who can save them…save them from themselves. You must join me. I will conquer this world but you…you will rule them. Together we will take control of all life and reshape the universe. I give Earth to you…show them the way Kal-El."

Superman looked up, staring into the eyes of his captor, then over at Desaad. Anger and rage filled his senses as he broke through his restraints. Standing free now, Clark turned to Desaad, who had tortured him for so long.

Desaad tried to back away, but Superman was too fast for him. Kal-El grabbed him around the neck, pulling him close. Clark's eyes burned as his heat vision ignited, firing right through Desaad, who screamed as Clark lifted him up and bent his body, snapping his spine before crushing his skull in his hands, killing him.

As Superman dropped Desaad's limp body to the floor, he turned, looking out through the main window at the Earth below, then over at Darkseid. He straightened up, walking towards his enemy, his fists clenched.

Darkseid looked down at the lifeless body of Desaad then back at Superman.

"Well son of Krypton…will you kill me now? Or will you help your people? What is your answer?"

They stood face-to-face, Darkseid and Superman. Darkseid's eyes seemed to glow as he awaited Kal-El's response.

"Well? What say you…?"

Superman laughed, his muscles tensed as his eyes burned once again. Swiftly tuning, he blasted the lifeless body of Desaad, watching as it caught fire.

"Well he won't be coming back from the dead…"

Kal-El watched as Desaad's body turned to ash, before turning back to face Darkseid, a look of grim determination on his face.

Wayne Manor:

Lois sat in tears. She had been crying ever since she had seen the images of Superman chained up and beaten. Lois watched as a secret door opened and Bruce Wayne walked through. Lois instantly recognised the agony on his face.

"Bruce…what is it? What happened?"

Bruce looked at Lois, seeing the tears on her face while desperately trying to hold back his own.

"They're dead…"

Batman collapsed, his body giving way to utter despair. As Lois rushed to help him, she glanced at the T.V. which showed live coverage of the Flash and Green Lantern fighting to protect a ruined Metropolis. Looking upwards, she thought of Superman and whispered,

"Hold on Clark…just hold on…"

Metropolis:

The fighting continued. War had descended upon the city and without the man of steel to protect the people; other heroes had to step up and save them. The Flash and Green Lantern had battled through the night; neither willing to give up until all of Darkseid's forces were defeated.

As dawn broke and light from the sun filtered through the vanishing clouds, Barry Allen looked to the sky. A thousand more attack drones were coming down from space. Ahead of them, a dark figure floated, surveying the city.

"Who is that?"

Hal Jordan turned and looked up. As the shadowy figure drew closer and closer, his features becoming visible, the Green Lantern came to a realisation.

"It can't be…"

"What?" The Flash looked at Jordan then back up to the sky, his face suddenly turning pale.

"I don't believe it…it's Superman…"

Wayne Manor:

Lois Lane watched live news coverage of the battle in her native city while attempting to comfort Bruce Wayne, who had been stricken by grief after the loss of his one-time partners, Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon.

Lois watched the large screen, viewing shots from a helicopter as it zoomed in on the figure hovering over Metropolis. She sipped coffee from a mug before suddenly dropping it. As it shattered on the floor, Bruce looked up drying his tears, his face turning to shock as Lois mouthed the words he was thinking.

"Oh my god, it's Clark…"

Chicago:

Wonder Woman had spent the day travelling all over the country, fighting the invading armada. But now, as she defeated the last of the foot soldiers in the city, her eyes were glued to the window of a T.V. repair store as she saw what many across the world were now seeing. Superman, the man of tomorrow, was floating high over the streets of Metropolis, a large invasion force behind him, threatening to shoot him down. But there was something different about him.

Metropolis:

As Lantern created an energy-field around himself and the Flash, he guided them both upwards into the sky to greet their fellow hero. It was Superman alright, but he didn't look the same.

His familiar blue tights and red cape were gone. In their place was an all black costume, the symbol on his chest now a glimmering silver and his cape a dark grey.

"Hey Supes…welcome back…I like the new costume…snazzy." Flash laughed jokingly, only to go silent as he saw the serious, determined face on Kal-El.

"How did you escape? We saw you…chained, destroyed…oh it doesn't matter, it's good to have you back."

Hal looked at Clark, then over his shoulder at the attack drones flying down to the city.

"Let's go kick some alien ass…uh no offence…I meant the evil ones…"

Clark smirked at the remark but remained silent and still, his arms crossed as he watched the Green Lantern and the Flash head towards enemy forces. Jordan used his ring to create a path through the air for Allen to run across as they made their way to fight the drones. Superman however, remained motionless.

The drones' sensors picked up the heat signatures of the heroes approached and changed direction to confront them, all converging rapidly as they emitted laser fire at their targets. Flash jumped and sped up, dodging the blasts as Lantern concentrated on creating a shield around his body to deflect the bolts before recreating the path for the Flash to land on.

Kal-El watched, then smiled as he flew towards the drones, igniting his heat vision and firing, striking Jordan in the back, with just enough energy to make him lose concentration, causing the energy path to disappear. The Flash, with nothing to run on, fell from the skies.

Regaining his composure, Lantern sent out energy from his ring towards the Flash, creating a slanted path for him to get his feet on and run safely to the ground. Suddenly realising what had happened, he turned to Superman, confused and angry.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm sorry my friend, I can't let you destroy those drones…"

"What are you talking about? What the fu…what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing…I've just seen the truth of this world Hal. We must save these people, protect them from themselves."

Clark flew towards the drones, turning around in front of them, slowly sinking towards the ground. Lantern watched amazed as the drones followed behind Superman while Flash looked up from the city streets in shock. As Superman landed in front of Barry, he waited for Hal to rejoin them. The Flash and Green Lantern stood, confronting Kal-El.

"Whatever you're doing…snap out of it."

Jordan's ring glowed as a beam of energy was released, straight at one of the drones, destroying it. Clark's face turned to anger as he picked Lantern up and threw him backwards across the street into a mailbox, while the Flash watched in horror.

"You don't understand…do not stand against me, do not get in my way. Trust me."

"And let you kill innocent people? I don't think so."

"I have no wish to kill anyone Flash, I am only doing what we as heroes should have done long ago. Save them. Not from burning buildings or natural disasters, but from their emotions, their need to destroy each other. You must join me. I don't want to destroy anyone in this transition but I will kill you if I have to."

Lantern and Flash both stood in shock as Superman walked coolly towards a military tank, scanning the interior with his x-ray vision to make sure no one was inside before picking it up with ease and tossing it skywards, striking an attack helicopter, watching as the pilot ejected before it exploded. Turning, he looked over his shoulder at the heroes.

"If you will not see the truth, then stand aside. Don't make me kill you…"

Chicago:

Wonder Woman's face was white, she felt numb and paralysed, unable to move as she tried to digest what she was seeing on the screen. Superman, the greatest hero the world had ever known, had turned on his friends and was now proceeding to destroy the military presence in Metropolis with the aid of the invading drones.

Diana watched as his dark costume emphasised the change in Kal-El. She couldn't figure out why he was doing it. Closing her eyes, she prayed for guidance. Looking around, seeing that the armed forces were in control of the situation, Wonder Woman ascended into the air before zooming across the sky towards Metropolis.

As she flew, she encountered a battle cruiser coming from the opposite direction. Diana merely extended her arms in a fist and flew straight through the cruiser, remerging and flying onwards, not turning to see the large ship explode behind her.

Gotham:

Lois Lane sat in shock, her heart breaking as she saw what her beloved was doing in Metropolis. Turning to her friend, she saw Bruce stand, burying his pain as he walked to a secret door. Lois followed, hurrying down a flight of stairs into a large cave.

"Bruce…what are you doing?"

"I can grieve another day…I have a job to do."

Bruce Wayne opened a vault, revealing his familiar dark costume. A few minutes later he was wearing the suit, now in the guise of the Dark Knight, Batman.

"You're going to Metropolis…aren't you…"

"I have to…I have to stop Clark before he…"

"Kills someone…?"

Bruce looked at Lois, not knowing what to say.

"He's not himself Bruce, you know Clark...this isn't him."

"I know…"

Batman took a small lead box from a compartment and walked to one of two remaining customised planes.

"I'll do whatever I have to Lois…I know he's being controlled somehow, but I have to think of the lives of everyone, not just his."

"Please Bruce…bring him back."

"I'll try…"

Batman closed the hatch on the plane, pressing some control switches, opening the exit of a long tunnel in the cave, giving Lois a final glance, and seeing the fear on her face as he activated the start-up trigger. A large clamp gripped the plane, pushing it along the tunnel underground, slingshotting it at a tremendous speed until Bruce ignited the burners, sending the plane out of the tunnel and up into the sky. Reaching high altitude, he turned the plane south towards Metropolis.

Inside the cave, Lois sat, shaking and crying, being comforted by the butler Alfred as she thought of Clark in Metropolis, becoming what he had fought against for so long.

"What did they do to you Clark…?"

Lois whispered to herself, her mind filled with heartbreaking thoughts as her despair became too much and she passed out from stress and anguish.

Space:

Darkseid watched on his monitor, smiling to himself, his greatest weapon now unleashed on the world.

"So Kal-El, your destiny will finally be fulfilled…"

The dark shadows of the ship and the empty void of space were irrelevant as Darkseid laughed, watching pictures of Wonder Woman and Batman heading to Metropolis, hoping to get there to help the Flash and Green Lantern, towards a showdown with Superman.


	4. Issue 29

Issue #29 – TRUTH AND JUSTICE

Metropolis:

Batman arrived first, finding Kal-El using modified scanners on board his plane, followed by Wonder Woman. As Bruce touched down, he allowed Diana to lift him into the air and fly them both to the heart of the city, destroyed by war, and now the scene of a shocking battle.

"…Stop this…"

Superman swung, hitting nothing but air as the Flash dodged, moving as a blur. Flash sped past him, knocking him off his feet due to the sheer force of the speed he was travelling at. Then it was Lanterns turn, using his powerful ring to create a large boulder-like object to smash into Superman, sending him backwards.

"Come on Kal-El this isn't you…snap out of it."

Clark rose to his feet, his sensitive hearing picking up the sound of Batman and Wonder Woman approaching. He watched as they landed in front of him. He was surrounded now by four of Earth's greatest heroes.

"My friends please…we have fought side by side for so long, and now you turn on me? This isn't right. We should be working together to create a better world. Without greed, without violence…Bruce, you understand don't you?"

"I understand…I understand that you're fighting on the side of the very people who are responsible for killing the closest thing I have to a family…Nightwing, Batgirl…they're dead..."

Superman bowed his head in remembrance to the fallen heroes, while the others also stood in silence for a moment, shocked at the tragic news.

"I'm sorry Bruce…I really am. Darkseid's mission has caused a lot of casualties…"

"Darkseid? Who is that? Is that the monster who's done all this?"

"He's not a monster Diana, all the deaths throughout the world are terrible. I can hear their screams…but it's a necessary loss. Can't you see that? When this is over, we will have created a new world. A better world."

"Oh my god, listen to yourself. What happened to fighting for the freedom of all mankind Clark? What happened to truth and justice?"

"Look what mankind has done with their freedom. Over and over, we saved the world, and for what? So it could be poisoned by the sins of men? So we could watch as they destroy themselves? This war is truth, it is justice."

"What has Darkseid done to you?"

"He's shown me the way. He killed me, destroyed my body, but released my inner strength. I live again, reborn as a true superman. Together, we can take control of the human race, guide them towards a better future."

"…How? By killing them? You've been brainwashed, manipulated…none of us want to hurt you, but if you continue to follow this path of insanity, we'll be forced to act…"

Superman's attention was drawn away. The voice of Darkseid, on a frequency only he could hear thanks to his super-hearing, rang through his ears.

"Kal-El…they won't listen. They will try to stop you. You must act for the greater good…"

Clark closed his eyes for a moment, sighing to himself, before looking back at the four heroes who were confronting him.

"My friends…will you not see the truth? You must stand with me."

"That won't happen Clark, let us help you…"

"I don't need help, I've been set free by the truth…"

"Then we have to stop you…I'm sorry."

Superman looked at his friends, one by one, then clenching his fists, his new darkened costume a sign of things to come.

"So be it…"

Suddenly Kal-El charged, striking Wonder Woman, watching as the force of the impact sent her spinning backwards, crashing into an abandoned police van. Knowing he was totally outclassed, Batman, sought to distract Superman, throwing bat-shaped blades at him.

Clark didn't feel the sharpened edges as they bounced off him, but as he turned to face Bruce Wayne, he was thrust into the air by the Flash in a massive whirlwind created by Allen from running in circles around the man of steel at tremendous speed.

As Superman rose to escape the tornado being created by the Flash, he was struck by a powerful beam of energy, then another, emanating from the ring of the Green Lantern, forcing him backwards. Summoning up strength from the ring, Jordan flew towards Clark, punching him hard, sending him through the air.

As Superman flew, he was followed by Wonder Woman until they were face to face, floating in mid-air, their hands locked, pressing back and forth in a contest of strength. Realising Kal-El was gaining the upper hand, Diana tucked her body inwards before stretching out, her feet kicking Clark in the chest. His body flipped in the air, ending up behind her. Grabbing her arms, he spun her around and around, finally letting go as her momentum sent her smashing against the concrete wall of the Metropolis branch of the bank of America.

Turning, Clark blasted Lantern with his heat vision, his eyes burning as he fired again and again, with Hal struggling to maintain his force field before being caught by surprise by Superman's sudden burst of speed to catch up to him. Kal-El threw a strong punch, sending Lantern crashing back to the city street.

Meanwhile, Batman opened the small lead box revealing a pair of brass knuckles, laced with kryptonite shards. Putting one on each hand he balled them into fists and waited for Kal-El to approach. Before he could fight however, the Flash was there, confronting Superman, leading him on a chase across the city.

The ground shook; papers were torn to shreds, windows shattered as Superman chased the Flash through the city streets, faster than the speed of sound. They reached mach 4, getting faster and faster.

Pipes underground blew, causing water to rise up onto the streets only to evaporate from the heat being generated by the sheer speed of the two adversaries. The Flash was always ahead of Kal-El however, always faster. But Superman was able to use it to his advantage as the two men literally burned rubber.

Staying behind Allen, Clark fired his heat vision ahead of the Flash, causing the road to start melting, becoming sticky. Before he could compensate, the Flash was slowing down, tripping and falling as he rolled to a stop with Superman flying into the air to escape the same fate. Zooming back to where he had started, Clark found and confronted Batman.

As Superman went to strike the Dark Knight, he suddenly felt a familiar weak feeling coursing through his body. Becoming dizzy, he could do nothing to stop Batman punching him hard. The kryptonite on the knuckles making Kal-El drop to his knees in pain as small traces of blood showed up around his jaw.

Batman struck again, leaving Superman dazed, struggling to get to his feet. Backing away, Kal-El rose high up into the air, regaining his composure, letting the effects of the radiation wash away before diving back down, thundering at great velocity before striking the ground like a bolt of lightening, causing cracks to appear as the road shook violently for a moment, knocking Bruce off his feet.

Picking up the sound of a sonic boom, Clark turned just in time to see the Flash running at him, then using his body to jump through the air like a missile, his speed carrying him forward to strike his mark right on Superman's chest. Kal-El was thrown backwards, right into the sights of Wonder Woman who locked her hands together and swung like a hammer, connecting with the lower back of Clark.

As Superman fell to the ground, he became angry. His eyes burned as he blasted heat energy out to melt the supports of a nearby apartment building. As it fell, Kal-El caught it, and with a mighty show of strength, tossed it with ease at Wonder Woman, crashing against her, leaving her unconscious through a window.

"You won't stop me. I can't allow you to interfere. Not this time."

Now he concentrated his fire on the Flash, burning the road at such a high temperature that both the Flash and Batman were forced to find high ground. The streets of downtown Metropolis were now ablaze, surging fires preventing the Flash from running anywhere. Batman held onto him, using a grappling hook to propel them both to the safety of a high-rise rooftop, away from the flames.

Superman rammed Lantern at great speed, pushing him against the satellite antennae of a nearby news station building. Powerful surges of energy went through both men as Kal-El forcefully tried to remove the ring from Hal's finger, finally snapping the bone and sliding it off. The energy surrounding the Green Lantern faded as Superman held his ring, watching as Jordan fell down onto a roof.

Kal-El turned around, looking across the street at Batman and the Flash, both stuck on a rooftop as flames engulfed the street below. Attack drones surrounded Superman, before swarming in around the two heroes…

Gotham:

The world was seeing the fight live as a few brave helicopter pilots and reporters hovered high up, broadcasting the events. Lois watched, horrified, as the man she loved became what he swore to defend against for so long. Suddenly, the screen went dark, flickered for a moment before a new image appeared. The president.

"…My fellow Americans…today is a dark day in the history of our planet. I have spoken to leaders around the world and while we can continue to fight, we have agreed that saving lives is paramount. Now that it has become clear that Superman no longer defends us, and that he has joined the enemy, it is obvious that this is a fight we cannot win. Therefore, to the alien beings responsible for this war, I have been authorised by the governments of the Earth to…to discuss the terms of…of our surrender…"

Washington D.C.

The president sat in his chair in the Oval Office of the White House, facing a holographic image of Darkseid. There was fear on his face as he tried to negotiate with the being that had brought chaos to the world.

"…So I have been authorised to negotiate the surrender of the Earth, if it will save lives…"

"It will…if I accept your surrender. Tell me, do you speak for every human on this pathetic planet?"

"I speak for the many nations of this world yes…"

"That is not what I asked you…do you speak for every human being? Do you have control over their thoughts? Can you guarantee that every man, woman and child will bow before me?"

"Well no…obviously I can't speak for every single person…"

"Then I reject your surrender. I want you to fight on. I want you to fight until every being on this planet understands that there is no hope for them…"

The hologram faded and disappeared just as a bright red light filtered through the window just before a large beam of energy shot down from the sky, destroying the White House and everyone inside, including the president.

Metropolis:

As Wonder Woman opened her eyes, she saw attack drones everywhere, spotting a large group converging on the Flash and Batman as fires spread throughout the street. Springing into action, she flew, raising her fists, destroying a squadron of drones to get to her friends.

As the drones fell from the sky, Superman came up behind Diana, grabbing a hold of her and driving her into fire below. Thinking quickly, the Amazon twisted her body upwards, forcing Kal-El to let go. Diana kicked out at Clark, watching as he fell into the flaming inferno.

The Flash, knowing the fire was a great threat to the city, leapt from the rooftop, running along the sides of connected buildings, building up speed and creating a gale fore wind to blow out the fire. As the flames died out, Superman rose into the air, the Green Lantern's ring in his hand.

Confronting Batman, Kal-El became weak again due to the radiation coming from the kryptonite on the brass knuckles. Batman punched Superman, sending him backwards, his hand opening out, revealing the ring.

Instinctively, Jordan stretched out his arm, watching as the ring flew from Kal-El's hand and back onto his finger where it belonged. Now re-energised, Lantern flew at Clark, his ring creating a large platform, swinging through at the Man of Steel, pushing him away.

The Flash and Wonder Woman combined, using strength and speed to fight Superman as Batman activated a sonic nullifier on his belt, designed to disrupt Superman's super-hearing so he could speak to Lantern without Kal-El being able to hear.

"Hal…that ring of yours, what exactly can you create with it?"

"Pretty much anything…why?"

"What about radiation…"

"…as in kryptonite? W-w-wait a minute…that could kill him…you wanna kill Superman?"

"Not unless I have to…can you do it or not?"

"I suppose…but we're talking about a substance I don't know anything about. All the willpower in the world doesn't help if I don't know what it is…now if I had a sample to work from…"

Bruce looked at Hal as he removed one of the knuckles, tossing it at Hal.

"Do it…Superman can survive the radiation for a while…we just need to knock him out."

Hal ran a finger over the brass, picking up the energy of the kryptonite in between. His ring started to glow as he closed his eyes, having to concentrate hard.

"This could take a while…just keep him away…"

Meanwhile, the Flash was again leading Superman on a chase through the city. Kal-El followed, firing blasts from his eyes trying to catch Barry Allen. Flash turned, running straight upwards over a skyscraper. Clark followed, flying above the hero, who stopped on the roof. Hovering over the Flash, he didn't hear Wonder Woman move up behind him thanks to Batman's nullifier.

As Diana struck Superman, Batman was busy fighting off waves of attack drones, who were descending towards him and the Green Lantern. Knowing he needed to buy time, Bruce activated a homing signal on his belt, watching as his modified jet sprang to life on it's own, flying over the city on autopilot, shooting down drone after drone.

Kal-El looked upwards, grabbing a hold of Diana's wrists, forcing her to her knees, his eyes burning as he prepared to hit her with a powerful blast of heat. Without warning, the Flash swept in at high speed, knocking him off his feet. Getting angry, Clark stood up, raising his foot and stamping it down hard causing toe ground to shake violently.

Barry lost his balance as the ground shook. Before he could recover, Superman was there, picking him up by the throat, threatening to squeeze. As Wonder Woman rushed to help her friend, Kal-El swung with an elbow, catching her in the face. High above, Batman knew they were almost out of time.

"Hal…"

"Almost there…two minutes…"

"We don't have two minutes…"

Bruce watched in horror as Clark rose up towards them, one hand wrapped around the Flash's throat, the other wrapped around Wonder Woman's. Superman landed on the rooftop, throwing the two heroes aside as we walked calmly towards Batman.

"Now would be a good time Hal…"

Superman looked at Bruce Wayne, puzzled, then over at Hal Jordan, who remained still, his eyes closed as his ring began glowing brightly.

"What are you up to? Green Lantern's might indeed. You can't beat me, no matter what your plan is. I tried to warn you, tried to make you see the truth. But you just won't listen…I'm sorry."

Kal-El grabbed a hold of Batman, lifting him up, slowly bending his body backwards. In the corner, the Green Lantern's ring glowed even brighter, his eyes shot open, his arm extending as a beam of green energy streaked across the roof.

Superman immediately drooped Batman, screaming in pain as kryptonite radiation surrounded him. He fell to his knees, his body succumbing to the excruciating agony. His eyes closed as he passed out.

Gotham:

An hour later, Superman, still unconscious was lying on a table in a cave under Wayne Manor. Lois Lane stood by his side as Batman placed a small piece of a kryptonite rock on his chest to keep him sedated.

"We can't keep him here…even small doses of radiation will kill him eventually…and if we let him go…he'll go on another rampage."

"What's wrong with him? Why is he like this?"

"Look…the scars…he's been tortured. Every bone in his body was broken, every muscle ripped in two…his organs expanded until they burst, then remade and destroyed again. Clark is strong-willed…but even he couldn't survive this. His will must have been broken. When that happened…the one who did this to him wouldn't have to do much to twist his mind."

"Can we bring him back?"

"I don't know…but for now, we have to stop him from hurting anyone. But how…"

"The Fortress…"

Batman looked up at Lois, realising she was right. The Fortress of Solitude contained the technology needed to restrain Kal-El.

Space:

"…Where is Kal-El?"

Darkseid was furious. He had been watching the battle in Metropolis, but the signal had been lost. By the time it was restored, Superman had disappeared.

"My lord, something is disrupting the tracking device on his neck. We can't get a lock on his whereabouts."

"I don't want excuses…find him!"

Fortress of Solitude:

Clark opened his eyes, finding he was in a familiar place. He tried to move, but found he was restrained. Looking around he saw the faces of the people he had been fighting, surrounding him.

"Let me go."

"Not until you see the truth."

He looked at Wonder Woman. She was holding a piece of rope. Kal-El followed the line, realising that it was wrapped around his body. It had mystical properties. Anyone captive to its power was forced to tell the truth. It was the heroes last hope of restoring Superman's mind.

"What is your name?"

"Kal-El…Clark Kent…Superman…"

"Where are you from?"

"Krypton…"

"What is the most cherished thing in your life?"

"Lois…"

"Who is Darkseid?"

"A powerful being who wants control over all living things…"

"What did he do to you?"

"He tortured me…killed me…showed me the truth…"

"Why are you here?"

"To fight for truth and justice…"

"What is truth and justice?"

"I am…"

"How can you save mankind?"

"By controlling them. By taking away freedom and ensuring that they don't destroy themselves…"

Diana turned to her fellow heroes, her friends, her face dejected.

"He is lost. He truly believes what he is saying. In his mind, it's the truth. I'm afraid he's too far gone."

"…There is one way…."

They turned. Anger filled Lois as she charged at the stranger by the doorway. Lashina, a dead woman, stood watching as Lois ran at her. She didn't even attempt to defend herself as Lois hit her again and again. Finally Lois stopped, demanding answers.

"You…you're the one who took him away. How dare you come here?"

Behind Lashina, the Flash and Green Lantern stood, blocking her exit.

"Please…you wish to destroy me, but listen to my words before you do. I can help him."

"Help him? I'll break your neck if you go anywhere near him."

Batman put his hand on Lois' shoulder, telling her to calm down.

"Lois, we don't have a choice. We can't help Clark…maybe she can. We should at least listen."

"Alright, you have two minutes…we're listening…"

Lashina took a deep breath, well aware that she was surrounded by beings that could destroy her easily.

"Darkseid killed me for disobeying him. A punishment for thinking for myself. He revived me, but I couldn't forget. I served him loyally for many years. I acted for his benefit and he destroyed me for it. I'm sick of his arrogance, his belief in his destiny to rule over all living things. He believes that Kal-El is the key to reigning over this world. He represents the possibilities of humanity. Control him…and the world awaits. So he killed him. Over and over and over. Destroyed his body, twisted his mind. Each death brought Kal-El closer and closer to breaking point."

Lois felt her heart break. She wept as Lashina told how Clark was tortured relentlessly, his body broken, his blood drained. She turned for a moment, watching as Clark struggled to break free of his restraints before listening again to what Lashina had to say.

"…The man you know as Superman is gone, buried deep down in his subconscious, imprisoned by the poisonous thoughts Darkseid put in his head. Kal-El believes he is doing the right thing. He believes that humanity is suffering under free will. But there is hope. Many have been destroyed by Darkseid. Many have gone through the unending hell of torture at his hands. All have fallen. But Kal-El endured more than anyone I've ever seen. Even as his powers were stripped away, he fought on. He resisted. Eventually he was subdued but I have never seen any being across the known universe endure as much as him."

"You said there's a way to save him…how?"

"Indeed. There is a hidden strength in him. At first I thought it was due to his amazing powers. But I've come to realise why Darkseid fears him. It's his humanity. Free will. The one thing Darkseid despises. He hates the very notion of freedom. He believes it's a plague on life. But in Kal-El there is hope. Even now. Deep inside his mind and in his soul, lies the key to defeating the evil that threatens this planet. You must break through the poison. Make him remember who he is."

"We've tried…nothing we do seems to have an effect."

"You cannot do it through technological or mystical means. To restore his mind, you must restore his heart."

Lashina looked at Clark, restrained using Kryptonian technology, then at Lois, seeing her tears.

"You…you care for him…"

"I love him."

"Yes…love is the very essence of free will. You are the only one who can save Kal-El. Show him, tell him what love is. Only that can set him free. Talk to him."

Lois dried her eyes, taking a deep breath before turning and walking towards Superman. Sitting down beside him, she remained silent as she watched Clark try to break free. She saw the anger in his eyes, but she also saw something more. Fear. He was afraid.

"Clark…Clark…listen to me…"

"Lois? Get me out of these things will you?"

"I can't…not until you understand what you're doing. Darkseid is manipulating you…"

"No you're wrong…he showed me the way. Showed me how to save you."

"Save me? How? Through war? Destroying the people that care about you?"

"Some sacrifices are necessary for the greater good. Now let me go…"

"No…look at me Clark. Look in my eyes. I love you. I can't begin to understand what he did to you but I can help you get through if you let me."

"You don't understand Lois. When this war is over, there will be no more fighting, no more Lex Luthors, or anyone to threaten this world. You'll be safe. Now please Lois…release me."

"Not yet. You've kept me safe Clark. You've kept the world safe. Don't you see? It's people like Darkseid who will destroy us. If you let this happen, do you really think we can be together?"

"Of course…"

"No Clark, love is what makes humanity so worthwhile. If you take away freedom, then there's nothing to hold on to. Darkseid wants to control us all. Love is the exact opposite of what he represents. If you let him win…love dies…then I die. This is killing me Clark. If you don't stop this, the man I love will be gone."

"Lois, I promise you, that won't happen. I can't go against Darkseid. He showed me what will happen if mankind isn't controlled…"

"No Clark…he showed you a lie. He made you believe what happened to Krypton could happen here. He didn't show you the truth. He didn't show you hope."

"Hope? What hope did Krypton have? A great race that destroyed themselves. Where was love? Where was hope?"

"It was there Clark…in a man and his wife. Hope for the future. Love for their only son. They saved him, sent him away so he might survive. You. They sent you to Earth…to me.

Kal-El didn't respond. Instead he tried again to get free of the restraints, the energy beams around his wrists and ankles not budging as he pulled against them desperately. Lois watched him, noticing the fear in his eyes.

"Why are you so afraid Clark? What is it about being restrained that's made you so anxious? This is for your own good Clark. Even if you can't see it."

"I'm not afraid Lois…I…I just can't be tied down like this…just get me out of it OK?"

"Why? Tell me Clark…let me in…what's wrong?"

"I just don't like being restrained…that's all. Now please…"

Clark's eyes began to water. A tear slid down his face, followed by another. Soon he was crying openly as he tried to kick and pull his way free. His eyes closed and he screamed as memories of Desaad's torture methods filled his mind.

"I…I can't…Lois please let me go…I can't go through it again…I can't die again…not again…"

Everyone was shocked as Superman broke down, blasts of heat coming from his eyes as he tried unsuccessfully to break free. He began to shake, fear overcoming him as he cried. Immediately, Lois was there, kissing him, telling him it would be alright. In that moment, their eyes met. Clark saw the love she felt for him, the pain in her heart. Lois in turn, saw the agony and despair that filled Clark, a broken man. Lashina looked on, smiling at the scene before her.

"Release him."

"What?"

"You must let him go now, trust me."

Reluctantly, Bruce Wayne walked to a crystal control panel, deactivating the restraint beams, allowing Superman to move. Standing up, Kal-El reached behind him, pulling a device from the back of his neck.

Throwing it into the air, he blasted it with his heat vision in a fit of rage, which soon turned to sadness as he collapsed in Lois' arms, crying against her shoulder. Finally lifting his head, he saw heroes standing cautiously, worried he might attack them.

"My friends…I will not ask for your forgiveness…I don't deserve to be absolved. Destroy me…I won't fight back"

There was silence, everyone unsure what to make of the situation. As Lois and Clark kissed gently, it was Lashina who spoke up first.

"It's done…he is free of Darkseid's influence. But he isn't healed. He hasn't been saved yet. The poison in his mind has been replaced by fear. He must face his fear if he is to survive."

Space:

"…My lord, we've found him. His tracking signal is gone so instead we used the scanners to locate Kryptonian physiology."

"Well done…where is he?"

"He is in the polar region of the northern hemisphere."

"Signal all ships down on the planet to converge on that area…bring him home…"

"Yes my lord…"

Fortress of Solitude:

"…They're on their way."

Lashina was worried. She had picked up the signal of an approaching armada. Darkseid's fleet was coming to retrieve Kal-El. She looked at Superman. His mind had been freed from Darkseid's control but he was in no condition to fight.

She would have to rely on the others to keep the fleet at bay. Lashina had betrayed Darkseid. She knew that her only chance of survival was to trust in Batman, the Flash, Wonder Woman and the Green Lantern.

Inside a command control room in the Fortress, she watched on monitors as the fleet grew closer and closer. Every ship on the planet was there. Lashina knew that the upcoming battle could decide the war.


	5. Issue 30

Issue #30 – KINGDOM COME

In the clear blue skies above the Fortress of Solitude, Darkseid's fleet was assembling and moving into an attack formation. On the ground, an array of defence cannons emerged from the snow and ice around the fortress.

While Superman would normally have no use for such weapons due to his extraordinary powers, he had installed them as a precaution after Lex Luthor had entered the structure unopposed months before. Based on designs in the Krypton Archive, Kal-El constructed the cannons with the help of the resources of Wayne Enterprises and now they were about to be tested.

Hundreds of drones descended, firing on the fortress. The crystal building was designed to absorb and convert energy, and it was proving a good defence against the relatively light weapons of the drones. The cannons fired upwards, laying down a blanket of laser fire, destroying any drones that came into range.

Twelve battle cruisers and three massive Deathstalkers hovered high above, their docking bays opening to unleash thousands more drones as four of the cruisers charged their primary guns and fired streams of intense energy at the fortress, causing some of the crystals to overload and explode.

Inside, the fortress shook. Lashina watched as Bruce Wayne took control of the defence cannons, targeting the cruisers. Locking onto the nearest ship, he prepared to activate the weapon. However the firing mechanism failed as the cannon was blown away by a shot from the cruiser.

Meanwhile, Clark Kent sat on the floor of a prison containment room, his heart in shreds as he tried to overcome the painful thoughts in his mind. Lois sat with him, comforting Clark as he remembered the torture methods of Desaad. She listened as he spoke between tears, explaining what was done to him on board Darkseid's ship.

"It's Ok Clark…it's over. You don't have to be afraid anymore…"

"No Lois…it's not. I close my eyes and I see it. I go through it again. I'm trying to let it go but I can't get it out of my head."

Lois put her arms around her beloved, trying desperately to give him some peace and comfort. They ignored the sounds of energy fire outside and the shaking every time the building was struck by blasts from the cruisers. Kal-El didn't even notice. He was too consumed with the terror in his mind.

In an adjacent room, Wonder Woman and the Flash waited and watched as a bright green glow filled the area. The Green Lantern had his eyes closed as his ring was recharged. As the glow faded and the recharge was completed, all three were unsure what to do.

"So are we going out there or what?" Barry Allen asked, itching to get into the battle.

"We're waiting…"

"For what?"

"Superman…" replied Hal Jordan.

"Have you seen him? He's in no condition to take part in this fight."

"Maybe so, but he's our friend. Our brother. We can't just leave him when he needs us most."

They were walking now, heading towards the control room where Batman was commanding the defence cannons.

"Look…he may never be the Superman we all know again. But we all know that he would be the first person to go out there if he could. We owe it to him, to the world to fight."

"…I wouldn't recommend it. Not yet…"

Batman turned briefly to greet the heroes, before returning to maintaining the defences. In front of him there was a holographic screen, showing the positions of every ship in the fleet above.

"If you go out there now, you'll get caught in the crossfire."

Outside, the drones continued to try and penetrate the chaos of laser fire protecting the fortress. While the cruisers were striking direct hits on the structure, the crystals were absorbing most of the energy, causing minimal damage.

As one of the cannons rotated, it locked onto a target, firing a steady beam of energy, ripping through one of the cruisers, destroying it in an explosive display of flames and debris.

The cannon targeted another cruiser and fired, blowing it apart. It fired on a third ship, only to fail as a squadron of drones came together to take the blast head on, being destroyed but protecting the cruiser.

The largest of the cruisers, Deathstalkers, spread out, waiting as the drones and smaller cruisers moved out of the way before firing. Three beams enough to obliterate entire cities were still unsuccessful as the fortress absorbed the energy.

The Fortress of Solitude was battered by energy blasts and some of the crystals were inevitably overloading and splitting apart. However it was only minor damage and the structure remained intact although inside, everything was shaking and some of the exotic furnishings were falling from the walls.

"…I'm here Clark, I'll always be here…"

Lois Lane stayed with Kal-El, trying to help him through the sadness and agony in his heart.

"I know Lois…but it's not just the torture…it's not just the dying over and over again. It's something worse."

"What is it Clark? Tell me."

"I…I can't."

"Let me in Clark, let me help you. Let me love you."

"How can you love a monster?"

"You're not a monster. Do you hear me? You are the most genuine, loving, decent man I've ever known."

"No, I'm not. On that ship, the one who tortured me for his master, Desaad…I killed him…"

"It was self defence…"

"No Lois, I killed him in cold blood. Darkseid freed me, and picked Desaad up and I snapped him in half."

"Darkseid was manipulating you. He messed with your mind. It wasn't you Clark…"

"Yes it was. I knew what I was doing. I'm no better than Zod."

"Zod?"

"Zod wanted revenge. When I killed Desaad, it wasn't self-defence, it was vengeance. I wanted to kill him for what he did to me. Just like I want to kill Darkseid. The worst thing is, when I held Desaad's life in my hands, when I took it away from him, I liked it. It was…satisfaction. I am a monster Lois, like Doomsday, like Zod…"

"No Clark, your not a monster…you're human. Maybe not physically, your spirit, your emotions…it's a human thing Clark."

"No it's not…Darkseid didn't brainwash me, he unlocked feelings and thoughts that were already there."

"Exactly…Clark how long have you been on this world? All your life…you are human. Everyone on the planet has dark thoughts, even the pope has them. But it doesn't make you a monster Clark. Darkseid brought that darkness to the surface but it's not who you are. He forced you to face that darkness, forced you to endure it and embrace it."

"What do you mean? How can you justify what I've done?"

"It's easy, because you didn't do it. Those feelings were there, of course they were. But I know your heart Clark. Darkseid tried to take away who you are and replace it with something that's alien to you. There's evil in us all. But in you, it's pushed back by the goodness in your heart. But Darkseid locked your humanity away, took away your control."

"But how can I know for sure that it's not who I am?"

"Look at yourself Clark, you despair over something you had no control over. Your tears are the proof. If the darkness was who you really are, there would be no remorse, no regret. But you're torturing yourself over it."

"When did you get so philosophical?"

"Oh that happened when a strange man in tights flew in and saved me from crashing in a plane a while back…"

They shared a moment, smiling softly at each other before kissing and holding each other close as the battle began to heat up outside.

The Deathstalkers were not having much luck in striking significant blows on the fortress. So the commanders of the ship changed strategy. Instead of firing on the crystal building, the giant cruisers, concentrated their fire on the surrounding area.

Intense laser fire melted the snow and ice around the fortress, which ended up floating alone on water. The cannons however, with no solid ground, slowly sank beneath the surface, short-circuiting as water leaked into the chargers, rendering them useless.

With the defence cannons out of the way, there was now nothing to stop the fleet concentrating on the fortress. The cruisers and drones now began firing with a near-constant stream of energy flowing against the crystals, causing them to overload. More and more of them absorbed too much and gradually the external shielding was stripped away.

Inside, as the fortress shook violently. Batman monitored the situation. With no defences, it would now be up to the heroes to fend off Darkseid's forces. Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and the Flash immediately headed outside, being confronted by a lake surrounding the structure after the cruisers had melted all the ice.

They knew that they would have to be at their best to survive the battle though ultimately, their only hope was to buy time until Superman joined the fight. However the man of steel, their only hope was going through a crisis of the heart.

As the drones came towards them, the heroes stood ready to fight, not knowing that in space, Darkseid was watching the battle, smiling arrogantly, confident that they would have no chance against the full force of his armada. However what Darkseid didn't know was that Superman was no longer fighting on his side. He was intent on bringing Kal-El back so he could unleash him on the world again. He did know however, that Lashina wasn't on board the ship. Darkseid's instincts told him that Lashina would try to betray him.

For now though, his attention was drawn to a monitor, where the ensuing battle was being played out. Darkseid smiled, activating a signal that would broadcast the battle all over the world, so that the human race could witness his victory over Earth's greatest warriors.

The world watched hologram images, for the first time since the war began, there was a sense of hope across the planet as they saw the heroes of the planet coming together to defend them.

Above the Fortress, the Green Lantern and Wonder Woman were heading straight for the cruisers, dodging and weaving as laser fire threatened to blow them out of the sky. Meanwhile the Flash was leading a squadron of attack drones on a chase, running over the surface of the newly created lake surrounding the structure.

He ran so fast, he parted the waters, almost like Moses at the sea of reeds, waves spreading high up before crashing down behind him, right onto the drones following behind, destroying them.

The smaller cruisers engaged their weapons, targeting the heroes approaching them as the larger Deathstalkers continued their assault on the fortress. Wonder Woman twisted and turned, dodging and deflecting laser bolts even as she thrust her fists through incoming drones.

As Diana fought, Green Lantern used his ring to create a shield for himself, flying towards the nearest cruiser he was unharmed by the intense barrage of energy blasts being aimed at him. The ring glowed, a green beam of energy being released, forming an anvil-shaped object, which Jordan used to slam into the cruiser again and again.

As fires spread throughout the large ship, Lantern was already moving towards the next cruiser as the first exploded behind him. Inside the fortress, Lashina stood alone, watching the battle on a screen. Her communicator sprang to life as a hologram of her master appeared before her.

"So…you dare to betray me yet again Lashina. You will be punished and this time I won't bring you back from oblivion."

"My lord Darkseid…it is you who shall be punished."

"Your insolence bores me Lashina."

"How many worlds must you destroy before you are satisfied? How many people must you devour before your hunger is sated?"

"You are but a child, insignificant. You cannot hope to grasp the glory of my destiny."

"Stop. No more speeches, no more crap. Your end is near."

"Lashina…if it is your wish to die then so be it…although perhaps I am being hasty. Tell me where Kal-El is, bring him home to me and I may show you mercy. You shall be forgiven for your betrayal."

"Kal-El's fate is not your concern. Your time is up."

Lashina tore the communicator from her wrist, throwing it to the ground, breaking it as she placed her foot on the device, crushing it. The image of Darkseid faded until it was gone.

Outside, fire rained from the sky as the remaining cruisers concentrated their fire on the Green Lantern and Wonder Woman as more and more drones began tracking the Flash. The battle was taking a turn for the worse as Darkseid's forces received orders to obliterate any opposing forces. Another group of cruisers descended from space, stacking the odds against the heroes, as the sheer volume of enemy ships filling the sky was enough to darken the area, blocking the sun from view.

The air was filled with the sound of gun turrets and laser fire as the ships proceeded to track the heroes. They struggled to move away from the danger, their paths being blocked by walls of energy as the cruisers fired rapidly, giving them nowhere to go.

The Flash was forced to slow down feeling pain spread from his feet as the energy of the lasers boiled the water underneath him. The once icy surface was now a furnace. Barry Allen no longer maintained the speed needed to keep him from sinking beneath the waves. As he fell into the water, Flash felt a hand grabbing a hold of him, pulling him up out of the heated water.

Looking up, he saw Wonder Woman looking back, carrying him to the safety of a nearby island before returning to the battle. They were in trouble and they knew it. Green Lantern fought bravely, destroying drones and attacking the cruisers. Turning, he heard a sound. A loud thundering echo as in the distance, he saw a large swarm of craft heading towards the battle zone.

"Great…more trouble…"

But as they grew closer, he began to realise that they weren't Darkseid's ships. A last desperate attack by Earth forces, planes and helicopters from all over the world. American, Chinese, Russian, British and Korean military commanders had formed a historic coalition, coming together in a last gasp attempt to drive back Darkseid's forces.

The heroes smiled, welcoming the help as drones began falling from the sky, shot down by the incoming combined forces of Earth's nations. Thanks to Darkseid's broadcast technology, the world was able to watch as the largest dogfight in the history of mankind began.

Fighters flew in to the heat of battle, bullets streaking across the sky as they dodged laser blasts, returning fire then dropping down, turning locking missiles and firing on the cruisers.

Space:

Darkseid was furious. Servants lay dead on the ground as he took out his anger on them. Lashina had betrayed him and Earth's military had come together to oppose him. He'd had enough of this battle. Opening communications he contacted the commanders of the Deathstalkers.

"…My lord Darkseid…how can we be of service?"

"Charge your cannons…target the fortress…destroy it…"

"But my lord, sensors show the Kryptonian is inside…"

"Kal-El will survive the blast. I will not do nothing against Lashina's betrayal. Destroy it…"

Fortress of Solitude:

Lashina had intercepted the transmission, knowing there was little time. Running through the fortress, she found Clark and Lois, sitting together in silence.

"We've gotta go…Darkseid's targeting the fortress…and I doubt it can survive another attack."

Thinking for a moment, Clark looked at Lois, then at Lashina.

"Go…take Lois and Bruce and get out of here."

"Clark…"

"It's ok Lois…I'll be alright, there's something I need…now go."

After some protests, Lois finally followed Lashina, reaching Batman. Using the teleportation device on her wrist, Lashina transported them out of the fortress in a flash of light.

Kal-El walked through the fortress, his ears picking up the sound of energy cannons charging in the distance. Sighing to himself for a second, Clark waved his hands over a crystal control panel. The wall ahead of him opened out, revealing a strange chamber.

Stepping inside, he closed his eyes as he ripped the black costume from his body. Blue and red fabrics circled around him, wrapping around his body, adjusting itself against him.

On the edge of the battle zone, the Flash stood on a small island, watching the battle in the sky. He was frustrated as the water was boiling now, preventing him from helping. A bright flash of light seemed to come from nowhere as he turned, finding Lois, Batman and Lashina standing, looking at the fortress in the distance.

Meanwhile, the Deathstalkers had reached their full yield potential, synchronising as they fired their weapons simultaneously. Like three bolts of lightning, the energy beams descended on the fortress, concentrated laser blasts as the remaining crystals overloaded and the fortress exploded suddenly. The shockwave destroyed fighter jets and drones alike, while forcing Wonder Woman and Green Lantern backwards, sending them flying backwards.

"Clark…"

Lois screamed, knowing that her beloved had been in the fortress, she feared the worst. Fighters on both sides were destroyed and as debris fell from the sky, everyone's attention was focussed on the burning rubble that was once the mighty and awe-inspiring Fortress of Solitude.

As fires spread before finally succumbing to the water surrounding the fortress, a lone figure stood in the flames, his eyes closed as he rose into the air. Clark hovered, behind him, the invading alien forces of Darkseid and in front of him, the last alliance of Earth's military.

A holographic image of Darkseid appeared in the sky, as Kal-El floated in the air, motionless.

"Kal-El, complete your mission…destroy all opposing forces. Rid humanity of the curse of free will…"

Clark's eyes remained closed as the heroes of Earth watched and waited. It was Lashina who noticed the change in Clark. His body no longer covered in dark colours but now in the familiar symbolic primaries…blue and red.

His cape fluttered in the wind, stretching out behind him, the shield crest no longer seamless against the blue on his chest, but raised, standing out in red and yellow. The image of Darkseid faded and disappeared. He believed that Clark would continue the fight.

The world stood still, the people of Earth watching the live images of the man of steel, surrounded by forces on both sides. Clark turned, now facing Wonder Woman and the Green Lantern, though his eyes remained shut. Not too far away, Lashina looked up into the sky, unsure of what was happening.

"Kal-El…"

"No Lashina, not Kal-El…" Lois responded, a tear dropping from her face before she gave a soft, knowing smile.

"…Superman!"

As if on cue, Clark opened his eyes, staring briefly at the heroes in front of him, bowing his head for a moment before turning swiftly, charging into one of the cruisers, flying straight through, destroying it.

All around the world, people cheered and celebrated. They cried with joy as they witnessed the return of their greatest hero, the return of Superman.

Superman flew, his cape flowing behind him as his eyes burned, releasing intense blasts of heat energy. Drones fell from the sky, dropping like flies as Clark tore through the enemy forces. Alongside him, Wonder Woman and the Green Lantern continued to fight.

Missiles streaked across the sky, coming from Earth's fighter jets and attack helicopters, pilots flying with newfound confidence. They were severely outnumbered but with Superman once again fighting with them, the odds had swung heavily in their favour.

Clark bombed through clouds, stopping in mid air then moving upwards towards the Deathstalkers. Floating between the three large ships, he took a deep breath before ploughing into the lead ship. Explosions rocked the cruiser as Kal-El tore it apart from inside, setting fire to the colossal engines, forcing it to fall into the water, destroyed as he made his escape.

As fighter jets engaged the drones, exchanging shots, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern concentrated on taking care of the smaller cruisers. The battle had turned dramatically in their favour.

Space:

Darkseid watched, confused and angry. Kal-El had turned against him and he knew it was only a matter of time before the last son of Krypton came looking for him. He knew that victory was now impossible, at least in the manner he had wanted.

"So Kal-El, you defend your world…you believe by defeating my armies you will defeat me…so be it…you shall fight until the end of your world…"

Darkseid laughed, calling a servant to his side.

"Signal the rest of the fleet, tell them to ascend into high orbit and prepare to ignite the atmosphere."

"Yes my lord Darkseid..."

As the servant turned to leave he noticed a flashing light on the observation screen. A communication signal.

"Master there's an incoming transmission…"

"Source?"

"I believe it's…New Genesis…"

"Leave now…"

As the servant made his exit, Darkseid activated the communication channel. On the screen he saw a familiar face.

"I don't believe it…is that you Orion? Well this is a big surprise."

"Hello…father…"

Orion, the true heir of Darkseid, appeared on the screen, his face scarred from his last battle with his father, his eyes blazing with hatred and anger.

"I have heard that Earth is proving more difficult to conquer than you expected."

"Are you going to gloat Orion? Is that why you have contacted me? Or would you like a rematch? To battle me once more? Or perhaps you have decided to join me at last…father and son…is that it?"

"I am here to warn you…leave Earth now. That planet is under the protection of New Genesis…leave now or you will face Highfathers wrath."

Darkseid laughed…looking out of a window at the planet below before turning back to face the screen.

"My destiny is to obtain the anti-life equation…it is here. If I cannot have it, I will destroy this world"

"Destiny? I would have thought you fear that word father…after all, you know my destiny…"

"Ah yes…the prophecy of death at the hands of my son…we have fought before and you have lost. You will not kill me. I will not be denied my prize."

"Then Apokalips will not survive the coming storm…you have been warned."

Earth:

Superman flew, destroying drones by the hundreds; his eyes glowing as heat energy blasted the engines of a nearby cruiser. Rising upwards, he hovered motionless for a moment before charging, his arms outstretched as he crashed through the remaining ships.

Meanwhile Wonder Woman and Green Lantern continued to strike out at opposing forces and pretty soon, Darkseid's forces were falling from the sky. As the rest of Darkseid's fleet made a hasty retreat, all eyes were now on Superman. As Clark descended, Lois noticed that he seemed to be shivering, his cape resting behind his back as he touched down.

"Are you alright Clark?" Lois asked.

Clark didn't answer. His eyes were closed as he sighed to himself.

"It's good to have you back…" added the Flash.

Clark opened his eyes, still shaking. It was becoming obvious to everyone that he hadn't really recovered from the traumatic events he had been put through at the hands of Darkseid, despite the heroics during the battle in the sky.

"I don't think I can do this anymore…Superman died on Darkseid's ship…I'm just a shell…"

"Don't say that Clark. You're more than a shell, you're everything that good about humanity…"

As Lois and the others tried to comfort and get through to Kal-El, Lashina was deep in thought. She knew that Darkseid would exact his revenge. She knew that killing Clark would only make him a martyr and unite the humans, making the anti-life unattainable. She also knew that, with his armies defeat, Darkseid would have one option. If he couldn't rule the Earth, he would destroy it. Superman was their only hope but he was in the middle of an internal crisis. Lashina knew there was only one answer.

"Kal-El…what Darkseid did to you was horrendous, and for my part in it I am truly sorry. I have never seen a being as noble as you. You are in turmoil and you need time…but we don't have any. You need to snap out of this."

"Leave him alone Lashina!" Lois cut in, " Can't you see he needs support?"

"I understand that…but what you don't understand is that Darkseid will destroy this world. There is a weapon…seldom used, but devastating."

Superman stared at Lashina. Despite his inner conflict, he couldn't ignore his responsibilities.

"What are you talking about? What weapon?"

"It has no name…the skies will turn blood red, then an elemental energy beam will set fire to the atmosphere. Every living being on this world will die in flames…even you won't survive…you can't hold your breath forever and as the oxygen is burned off…eventually you will suffocate. When it is over…this world will be nothing but a dead rock."

"What must I do?"

"You must confront him Kal-El, stop Darkseid from using the weapon."

"I can't…I can't go back up there…there must be another way."

"Lashina's right."

"Bruce…"

"I know a bit about fear. You think you're afraid of Darkseid…but I can see it in your eyes, you're afraid of yourself. Afraid what you might do."

"Bruce listen…"

"NO YOU LISTEN….Dick, Barbara and countless others are dead. You're the strongest of all of us. If you don't stop him everyone will die. You…are…Superman. Face Darkseid…face yourself…don't hold back."

Clark thought for a moment…he knew Batman was right but he was still afraid of what could happen. He looked at his friends, then and Lois. He couldn't lose her. He knew he had to fight. A plan formed in his mind.

"Heroes one and all right…let's show Darkseid what the people of Earth are capable of. Bruce…take Lois and go back to Gotham, I want you to find every hero on the planet…as many as you can. Co-ordinate with Lantern and the Flash…we need everyone working together."

"What are you up to Clark?"

"We're gonna defeat Darkseid's army once and for all. Diana, go back to the UN and tell them we're gonna need nuclear weapons ready to launch into space. We've been supporting the dismantling of nuclear weapons for so long, it's time they were used to defend all mankind."

"Clark, I checked with NASA when the war began. There's nothing up there."

"Yes there is Batman," answered Lashina, "Darkseid knows the power of nuclear weapons, so he shrouded his fleet in a stealth field…Kal-El, the only way to disable the field is to cut the power distributor in Darkseid's chambers on board his flagship…"

"That's where you come in, I need to borrow your transportation device. Once the shield is down and the fleet is visible, the nukes will have their targets…Diana, they must be ready to launch."

"Clark this isn't going to be easy. Organising a worldwide nuclear strike is unheard of, especially since half of the countries represented in the UN won't admit to even having weapons. And if you go up there, you're going to have to confront Darkseid…are you sure you're up to it?"

"Probably not…but what the hell…"

Lois walked to face Clark, kissing him lovingly; afraid that she might never see him again but knowing in her heart that it was the only choice.

"Be careful..."

"Don't worry…I'm Superman."

Kal-El gave Lois a little smile before signalling to Wonder Woman who took off immediately, flying back to New York. As Green Lantern used his ring to create a platform for Lois, Batman and the Flash to fly to Gotham Lashina showed Clark how to use the mobile teleporter, inputting the code needed to teleport to Darkseid's ship.

As Lashina stepped onto the platform, holding on as Hal Jordan lifted them into the air, Superman was left alone, contemplating the situation as he gathered his thoughts. He wasn't ready to face Darkseid. He knew that, but he had to try anyway. Clark looked up to the sky, taking off and rising slowly into the air as he prepared to activate Lashina's teleporter.

"What's that phrase? Looks like a job for Superman…let's hope Superman is here…"

Clark sighed to himself and pressed the execute button on the device, disappearing in a blinding flash of light.

Space:

Lights were flashing, alarms ringing. Darkseid watched security monitor feeds, seeing Superman walking through his ship, laser blasts impacting against his chest, causing no damage. Foot soldiers attacked the man of steel but ended up on the floor as Clark merely extended his arm, swatting them aside.

Darkseid turned, looking at the door of his chambers as it was pulled from its hinges with ease. Superman walked through, both super-powered beings staring each other down.

"Welcome back Kal-El…"

"I know what you're planning to do. I won't let you destroy this world."

"You can't stop me…I see the fear in your eyes. You will fall…last son of Krypton."

"Maybe…but I'll take you with me."

They stood face to face, clenched fists and muscles tensed, both ready for the inevitable showdown of gods.


	6. Issue 31

Issue #31 – LEGACY

Space:

"…You're going to pay for everything you've done."

"Come and get me…Superman"

It began in brutal fashion. Charging forward, Clark raised his arm, his fist striking a heavy blow to Darkseid's cheek…he didn't flinch. Instead he grabbed Superman by the hair, slamming him into the nearby view screen, glass shattering everywhere.

Superman recovered, igniting his heat vision, striking Darkseid and forcing him to take a few steps back only to be confronted with another blow to the head as Kal-El moved swiftly to catch up with his opponent, punching him hard.

"Please Kal-El…you can do better than that…"

Clark reacted to the taunt by easily picking up and throwing Darkseid's throne chair, then getting up close while Darkseid dodged the incoming object. Face to face they swung punches, unable to extend their arms to full length in the cramped spaces of the room.

Blocking and countering, Darkseid landed two powerful hits to Superman's face only to succumb to Kal-El's own strikes. Picking up the broken door, Clark smashed it with ease into Darkseid again and again, forcing his enemy to hold his hands up in an attempt to block the blows.

Thinking quickly, the ruler of Apokalips rolled to the side, grabbing Superman by the legs and pulling him to the ground. Leaning over Clark, Darkseid balled his hand into a fist and punched him square in the face. Superman turned and twisted, hovering above the floor, bringing his body around to kick Darkseid, sending him tumbling across the room.

"Impressive Kal-El…but your strength and speed will not help you in a small room like this."

"In that case…would you like to step outside?"

"How amusing…very well…come and find me."

Suddenly, Clark witnessed a familiar flash of light…Darkseid was gone. Closing his eyes, Clark listened…picking up sounds from the planet below before finally focussing in on the sound of Darkseid's voice…taunting him.

"…I'm waiting Kal-El…come protect your pathetic humans…"

Activating Lashina's teleporter, now attached to his wrist, Clark was enveloped in a blinding light as he disappeared from the ship.

Earth – New York City:

"…I'm normally the last person who would advocate the use of nuclear weapons but it's our only option."

Wonder Woman was frustrated. Having called an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council she was fining it difficult to persuade the other ambassadors to go along with Superman's plan.

"This is Superman's plan…you all know how he feels about weapons of mass destruction but even he realises it's the only way…"

"…Superman? He turned his back on us…just hours ago he was fighting for the enemy and you want us to trust a plan of his?"

"Right now Superman is engaged in battle against Darkseid…what happened earlier today…it wasn't really him…"

"What…another Bizarro?"

"No…what I mean is…he wasn't himself…I can't explain it right now…trust me."

"…Diana, perhaps you're right…but we have to consider our own security. If we launch an attack that size, what's to stop another nation from striking at us when our nuclear defence options are gone?"

"This isn't about national security ambassador…it's about saving the world. Superman will disable the stealth field, when that happens you must be ready to launch…."

Paris:

Superman flew straight down, turning his body as he neared ground level, flying straight towards Darkseid, crashing into him with terrifying force. Darkseid fell backwards, sliding across the tarmac before pushing his fist to the ground, stopping himself. Superman charged again, his eyes focussing ahead of Darkseid; making sure the target he had in mind had no people who could be in danger.

He charged, grabbing a hold of his enemy and rising into the air, spinning Darkseid around in circles, faster and faster before releasing him and watching as he flew through the air before finally slamming into the Eiffel Tower and falling to the ground with Superman in hot pursuit.

"Wanna give up?"

"Not until this world burns…and it will soon enough…"

Darkseid laughed as he stood up, turning away from Clark, forcing his fist through one of the metal supports on the tower, breaking it and pushing it over. Moving quickly, Superman was quickly under the falling tower, catching it. Thinking for a moment, Kal-El tore the tower completely from its supports and in an amazing show of strength, lifted the iconic structure like a baseball bat, swinging it viciously at Darkseid, sending him off into the distance.

Lifting it back into position, Clark welded the supports back into place, checking that it was secure before exploding into the air to find his enemy, with the Parisian people looking on in awe.

Central City:

Barry Allen sped through the city, picking off drones as he went, following a cruiser flying overhead. Drawing its fire, he led the large ship out of the city into the countryside. With no innocent people in the crossfire, Flash ran in a circle, faster and faster, whipping up a tremendous whirlwind, catching the large cruiser in the funnel, pulling it to the ground. As the ship rocked with internal explosions, Barry ran to a safe distance, before activating a communicator.

"All safe here…where to next Bats?

"…I've made contact with Green Arrow…he's being outnumbered and outflanked in San Diego…"

"On my way..."

"…Hurry Flash…"

"Always do…"

Dover:

A flash of light…Superman was there. Standing atop the white cliffs, Darkseid waited. Clark flew, Darkseid was ready. Removing an object from his wrist, he threw it at Superman. Before he realised what was happening, Kal-El was paralysed, dropping to the beach below. He could only watch as Darkseid dropped down from the cliff above and walked towards him menacingly.

"Don't worry Kal-El, the effects will wear off in a moment…but still just enough time for me to show you what pain is."

Picking Superman up by the neck with one hand, his other travelled to strike the torso. He struck again and again before swinging Kal-El around and throwing him towards the cliff, watching as Clark fell hard through the cliff-face.

As the paralysis wore off, Clark flew away from the rock towards Darkseid, extending his arm and flying straight through with a clothesline move. Shaking his head, Darkseid watched Superman who was now hovering over the water.

Clark's eyes burned as he began to aim his heat vision at the water, boiling it and creating volumes of steam. Darkseid struggled to see through the vapour, trying to find his opponent. He sensed a presence and turned only to meet Kal-El's fist as it struck him on the cheek, knocking him backwards.

"Clever Kal-El…but tricks won't help you win this battle…time to go home."

Activating his teleporter, Darkseid was gone. Clark rose into the air, high above the surface of the Earth, focussing in on the sound of screams for help and a sadistic laugh…he knew instantly where to go.

Metropolis:

The city was scarred, in ruins. As the people tried to recover from the battles that had taken place there, they were now going to witness another battle. Darkseid had appeared first, driving terror into the hearts of the city's citizens as he chose at random, killing anyone who crossed his path. The streets were awash with blood, bodies lay everywhere.

Then Superman arrived. The last time he was in the city, his mind had been corrupted and he was fighting for Darkseid, against his friends. But now, as he tried to suppress the fear in his heart, he faced Darkseid as an adversary.

"It's about time…I've been having some fun…your people are dying by my hand and you are powerless to stop me."

Clark looked around at the people he had spent so long protecting, many of them now dead. His heart broke, for a brief moment he felt like giving up but s he saw the pain in the eyes of the people, his resolve was strengthened.

"You are nothing but a murderer."

"Then we are the same Kal-El."

"No…I'm not like you.."

Darkseid laughed.

"I think poor Desaad would beg to differ…"

"That wasn't me…it's not who I am…it's who you created…not me."

"That monster is a part of you Kal-El…"

"The only monster here is you."

A crowd was gathering. Despite the terrible events the people of Metropolis had endured, they were coming together in support for their hero.

"…Go get him Superman…"

"…You can do it. We believe in you Superman…"

The crowd chanted Superman's name, urging him on, giving him strength. Clark smiled then stared at his enemy.

"You see…"

"They are fools…"

"No…even as you destroyed their homes…their lives…you were never going to win. You can never break the human spirit…there is always hope."

"Tell me…what will you do when there is no one left to hope…"

Darkseid gave a menacing grin as he picked up a car and threw it at the crowd. Immediately Superman sprung into action. Speeding towards the crowd he caught the car in mid air, letting it down gently. The people cheered as Kal-El turned back to face Darkseid.

Another car flew through the air, again caught by Superman but this time he turned and threw the car back with great force, pushing him backwards.

"Are you here to talk Darkseid? Or to fight?"

"Are you so ready to meet your end? Very well."

They stood face to face on the streets of Metropolis. Silent for a moment, before moving and circling around each other.

"Round two…ding."

Superman smiled and rose into the air, he looked at Darkseid and charged.

Darkseid flew backwards through the air, following a heavy blow from Superman, crashing into the ruins of the LexCorp building. Recovering, he stood up to find Clark hovering over him, grabbing his arms and throwing him up into the air.

As Darkseid was flung into the air, Superman followed immediately. Picking up speed and passing Darkseid, he balled his hands together and waited for Darkseid to reach him before bringing his fists down, striking Darkseid and sending him back down to Earth.

Landing safely, Clark waited for Darkseid to get up before charging him again. The charge was anticipated though and Darkseid manage to grab Superman by his cape, swinging him around before throwing across Metropolis.

Clark crashed through building after building before managing to stop himself in mid-air. Touching down, both he and Darkseid walked towards each other before grabbing onto each other, their hands interlocked as the went back and forth in a contest of strength. Bringing his knee up suddenly, Darkseid landed a blow, getting Superman off his feet.

Darkseid was on him immediately, bringing his fist down. But instead of striking Kal-El, his fist went threw the ground, tearing out a power line and pushing it to Superman's chest. He laughed as Clark tried to endure the pain of electricity coursing through his body.

Gotham:

Underneath Wayne Manor, Lois Lane and the Fury, Lashina watched as Bruce Wayne made contact with heroes from all over the planet, co-ordinating a worldwide operation to defeat the remaining forces still causing trouble on the surface of the Earth.

"I had no idea that the Earth had so many champions, so many great warriors."

"That's why Darkseid won't win Lashina, there are too many people willing to lay down their lives to defend the planet, and they are all heroes."

Batman heard the two women talking, reminding him of the deaths of Nightwing and Batgirl. He had buried his feelings, knowing he needed to struggle through until the end of the war, but it wasn't easy for him. Every night since he was a child he had nightmares about the night his parents were murdered, and now he knew there would be more horrors added to his dreams.

"…Bruce…Bruce…are you alright?"

"Wh…what? Yeah I'm ok Lois."

"You seemed a little out of it there…"

"Just thinking…"

"About Dick and Barbara?"

"Yeah…but now's not the time…let's get back to work. Hal should have made contact with Hawkman by now."

Metropolis:

They stood in the middle of the road, arms swinging. Darkseid would strike a blow, only for Superman to stay standing and strike back. On an on it went, the city of Metropolis seemed to shake as the two most powerful beings on the planet went at it. Hit for hit they continued, neither giving up.

The citizens of Metropolis stood in a circle around the two combatants, cheering when Superman landed a punch, groaning in disappointment when Darkseid retaliated. Suddenly an explosion rocked the area surrounding the two fighters. Looking beyond over Darkseid's shoulder, Clark spotted an army tank targeting them. Above, an attack helicopter hovered, launching rockets at Darkseid.

Darkseid stood, laughing as the explosions had no effect. Turning, he gave he helicopter a quick glance before walking towards the tank, picking it up with ease and throwing it skywards, straight towards the helicopter.

Superman rushed into action, catching the tank, but not before it clipped the helicopter as the pilot swerved trying to avoid a collision. Superman held onto the barrel of the tank with one hand, lowering it to the ground before flying after the helicopter, holding onto the tail, keeping it steady to stop it spinning out of control. After getting a thumbs up from the pilot, he let go, watching as it flew to a safe distance.

Below, the two occupants of the tank climbed out in a hurry, desperate to escape before Darkseid reached them. Again he picked the tank up with ease, this time launching it at Superman. Clark turned just as the tank reached him, forcing him backwards through the air.

Holding onto the tank, Kal-El changed his vision to see through the metal shell, checking that nobody was inside before flying back down to earth at great speed, knocking Darkseid off his feet. Clark began to bend the tank, breaking and reshaping the metal before wrapping it around Darkseid in an attempt to imprison him.

Clark felt a change in the wind, the air suddenly becoming warmer. Looking up, he saw the sky, no longer clear blue, now slowly turning to a crimson red. Darkseid laughed once more as he struggled for a moment, then broke through the metal wrapped around his body.

"It has started Kal-El. Your world will turn to ash soon enough."

New York:

Diana stood in the centre of the room, debating the situation with delegates from the UN Security Council as well as other member states. Looking outside through a window, she noticed the blood red sky.

"We're running out of time here…you must act before it's too late."

"…The United States of America will decide it's own policy Diana. We still don't know if Superman can be trusted or not. And we have no guarantee that the missiles will have any effect."

"Look, Superman says it will work, so it will."

"Perhaps…but I say that if we are to go through with this plan, I say we do all we can to make sure it works…"

"What are you talking about?"

"Four years ago, we received a certain item from Lex Luthor. A source of energy powerful enough to annihilate Darkseid's fleet…a large quantity of kryptonite."

The room became filled with chatter as delegates from around the world discussed the use of kryptonite before the U.S. ambassador continued.

"Since then we have been working on a uranium kryptonite hybrid enrichment program to enhance our defensive capabilities…"

"Wait a minute…Superman could survive a nuclear explosion…but a nuke laced with kryptonite? That would kill him."

"If Superman's intentions are honourable, we both know that he will willingly sacrifice himself to save the planet. If he can escape the ship in time, he may survive."

"It's overkill ambassador and you know it…you don't just wanna stop Darkseid…you want to take Superman out."

"Like I said, the defence of our nation…and the planet…is our first priority…"

Metropolis:

Superman flew through the air, crashing into the offices of the Daily Planet. Looking around for a moment, he saw Jimmy Olsen and Perry White staring at him.

"Excuse me…"

He flew back out of the building, leading with his fists, charging straight into Darkseid. The ground shook as they went blow for blow, until Clark flew in a loop away from Darkseid before heading towards him, turning his body feet first in a powerful kick, sending Darkseid backwards through the air, smashing against an overturned truck.

As he stood up, he was met by a blast of fire from Clark's eyes. Darkseid began to laugh. His eyes suddenly glowing before firing a beam of his own. Kal-El flew upwards to avoid the attack, only to find the beam of energy following him. He flew, turning and spinning through the city, weaving his way between buildings, trying to escape Darkseid's Omega Effect, turning up into the sky, then back down towards the ground, the beam matching every move.

Finally he stood, waiting as the beam closed in on him. Then, as it was about to strike its target, Superman was gone, escaping in a sudden burst of speed as the beam struck the pavement, which seemed to implode in on itself and disappear leaving a large hole in its place.

"Interesting…you are the first person to have escaped the fate of all those who have been targeted by my Omega Effect. You have impressed me Kryptonian."

"Save it…I'm not interested in your shallow praise. Until now, you've picked our battlegrounds and I've followed. I will not let you endanger any more people. It's time for you to come find me…"

In a flash, Superman was gone, activating the teleporter on his wrist. Darkseid looked around the city for a moment before signalling to his ship.

"Locate Lashina's teleportation device…where is Superman?"

"We're sending the co-ordinates now my lord…"

"Good…it's time to end this game of cat and mouse."

Another flash of light later, and Darkseid was gone, leaving the people of Metropolis to wait and wonder how this epic battle would end.

Himalayas:

Darkseid stood at the peak of the tallest mountain, Mount Everest as Superman hovered above him. Extending his body, Clark flew, driving into Darkseid sending him falling from the mountaintop, slamming into the ground, miles below.

Darkseid lay on the ground, looking up as Superman ignited his heat vision, creating a tunnel through one of the smaller mountains before flying through. Moments later, the ground began shaking violently as Superman rose into the air, holding up a giant chunk of rock, an entire mountain, being held up over his head. Following his ordeal at the hands of Desaad and his continuing fight against Darkseid, Superman felt weaker, nowhere near his upper limit of power. His arms were shaking as he struggled to hold the mountain up, preparing to launch it at Darkseid.

"Such strength…you really are powerful Kal-El."

Summoning up inner strength, Clark threw the large rock at Darkseid, who lay there, waiting for impact as it crashed down on top of him with a force that would obliterate a normal human being instantly. But Darkseid wasn't human and already he was punching through, escaping the rock tomb.

"It's time to end this…"

In a blinding flash, Kal-El was gone. Darkseid looked up to the red sky and laughed. He knew there was only one place Superman could be going. Pressing a button on his own teleporter, Darkseid disappeared, heading back to his ship.

Meanwhile, around the world, missile silos were opening, nukes being prepared for launch as soon as Darkseid's space fleet became visible. Even as the world prepared for a final attack on Darkseid, his commanders were busy preparing a devastating weapon to burn off the atmosphere and destroy all life on Earth.

As heroes everywhere began linking and teaming up, defeating the last of the enemy forces that remained on the planet, around the world, missile silos were opening, nukes being prepared for launch as soon as Darkseid's space fleet became visible. Even as the world prepared for a final attack on Darkseid, his commanders were busy preparing a devastating weapon to burn off the atmosphere and destroy all life on Earth.

Space:

On board Darkseid's flagship, Kal-El flew, searching deck after deck, looking for the power generators. His eyes seemed to darken then brighten again as he focussed, looking through solid walls, his ears picking up even the faintest sounds as he tried to hone in on the hum of the energy travelling through the ship and being transmitted to the other ships in the fleet.

He ended up back where his epic battle with Darkseid had started, walking through into his chambers as it was drowned in a blinding light for a moment. Darkseid was there.

Fists flew again, the ship shaking as if caught in turbulence. Darkseid's eyes began to glow as his Omega Effect streaked across the room towards Kal-El. As it reached it's target, Clark disappeared in a blur. Darkseid watch the Omega Beam shift upwards and back behind him. Turning, Darkseid's face was met with the balled fist of Superman, who again vanished as the beam struck Darkseid.

"You're speed is impressive Kal-El. But did you really think I couldn't defend against my own attack?"

Clark wasn't listening. He was busy trying o figure out how to use the shield control panel, finally deciding that the best option was to destroy it. His fist went through the large computer, before he pulled it from it's solid position against the wall, severing the power connections.

"What have you done?"

"See for yourself."

Looking out the main window, Darkseid watched as his fleet suddenly appeared in space, the stealth field no longer keeping the ships invisible.

"I have tolerated our insolence long enough Kal-El. It's time for you to die."

Activating a switch on his wrist, Darkseid laughed as the room became filled with a green glow, with four beams of kryptonite energy descending from the ceiling, surrounding Clark.

Superman fell to the floor instantly, his body racked with unending pain as his mind thought back to his torture at Darkseid's hands. The energy cut across his body, burning his skin as Darkseid looked on in amusement.

"I must say, you have been a worthy adversary. But like all who have gone before, you can only fall before me. You were never going to win Kal-El, although you have prevented me from controlling the human race. I commend you. However it was all in vain. Your world will burn, the people you protect will die, as will you."

New York:

They waited, discussing the events of the past few days. The UN Security Council was filled with voices as the delegates debated the need for nuclear missiles laced with kryptonite.

"…You don't want to just stop Darkseid, you want to kill Superman…"

"He is a threat to the security of the United States and the world. He proved that by joining forces with the enemy.."

"Darkseid manipulated him, tortured him, warped his mind but he's broken the control."

"And what if Darkseid manipulates him again? What if Superman turns on us? We all know that you were lucky to stop him the last time Diana…next time…"

"There won't be a next time…he's facing his fears right now, trying to bring Darkseid down. He doesn't even know that you want to use kryptonite nukes…and if he did know, he'd keep fighting. He would sacrifice himself for every single one of you."

The debate raged on as the US ambassador became distracted, receiving news from one of his advisors.

"…This debate is irrelevant now. I've just received word that NASA has located Darkseid's fleet. We must now vote on this special resolution to launch our nuclear assets into space…."

Space:

Kal-El's face was pale, his body succumbing to the intense agony of kryptonite poisoning. In a last gasp effort, Clark ignited his heat vision, targeting the control device in Darkseid's hand, destroying it.

The kryptonite disappeared, leaving Superman on the floor, struggling to recover. He looked up to find Darkseid standing over him, ready to finish him off. Acting quickly, Clark input co-ordinates into the teleporter he had borrowed from Lashina, taking a deep breath as he disappeared in a flash of light.

Kal-El opened his eyes. He was surrounded by fire, deep inside the constant nuclear reaction that was the yellow sun of Earth. He felt the heat, but it didn't burn him. Instead, his body began growing stronger and stronger, the energy from the sun supercharging his cells. The teleporter on his wrist was quickly consumed by the fire, his blue suit and red cape, although capable of enduring the intense heat for a short time, was slowly beginning to burn through.

Clark remained still, absorbing more and more energy until he felt his body start to struggle to contain it. Only then did he move. He flew, being pushed through the surface of the sun and forward by a solar flare. Kal-El began to pick up speed. His supercharged body enabling him to go faster and faster, moving through the solar system, getting closer and closer to the speed of light as his body tried to use up the extra energy he absorbed in the centre of the sun.

As he passed Earth's moon, he forced himself to slow down dramatically. Homing in on Darkseid's ship, now visible due to Clark destroying the shield control panel, he crashed through the hull, flying through the ship as pressure doors closed behind him to contain the hull breach.

Reaching the main chamber, Superman charged directly at Darkseid, knocking him off his feet. Getting back up, Darkseid swung at Clark who dodged easily. Darkseid swung again only to find Kal-El catching his fist, twisting his arm backwards, breaking it.

"How? How can you have gained such strength so quickly?"

"Sunshine…not just for getting a tan. Of course, my body now has too much energy, so I have to use some of it up."

Clark's eyes burned as he fired a steady stream of heat energy at Darkseid's chest. On and on it went, intense heat burning through his body suit, getting hotter and even more intense as Darkseid tried and failed to protect himself.

Finally Kal-El stopped, picking Darkseid up and throwing him with ease against the back wall of the chamber. Clark brought his arm back and punched through.

"You tortured me…" He swung again. "You poisoned my mind with visions of a dead future..." Another punch into the stomach of Darkseid.

"You took the lives of those who I swore to protect…" This time, his knee flew into Darkseid's chin. "You made me turn my back on everything and everyone I hold dear…"

Superman continued to strike Darkseid with no resistance, no retaliation.

"You killed me…" Clark swung again. "Over…" Another punch to the stomach. "And over…" He hovered this time, bringing his body around in a vicious kick to the face. "And over!"

Clark picked Darkseid up by the neck, threatening to break it in half. Darkseid was in shock. Never had he come up against an opponent with strength enough to destroy him.

"Are you going to kill me Kal-El? Take your revenge? I can see it in your eyes…rage."

Superman threw him to the floor.

"No…I'm not like you…I'm going to warn you. I can hear it, all over the world. The sound of fire and rockets. Every nuclear missile on Earth, targeting your fleet. They're almost here…and given the beating you've just had, I wonder if you have the strength to survive the attack. My advice…leave while you still can."

"Why? Why are you telling me this? Why warn me?"

"I told you, I'm not like you…part of me wants to snap your neck, but I choose not to…Free will just saved your life."

Superman looked out through the window, watching the missiles flying up from the planet below. Turning to leave, he gave Darkseid one last glance.

"Oh…and if you ever come back…I'll kill you."

Darkseid watched silently as Superman flew straight through the window and away from the ship. As the missiles approached, Darkseid frowned angrily, activating his teleporter.

Outside, Superman turned to watch as the sky was lit up by blinding flashes, a barrage of nuclear missiles striking at the heart of Darkseid's fleet. A few managed to escape, making a lightspeed jump away from the planet but most were destroyed, including Darkseid's flagship.

One final missile left the atmosphere, targeting the last of the ships. Superman watched as it exploded, hovering for a moment, suddenly feeling weaker. His body started to feel pain as he realised that there was kryptonite in the missile. He flew backwards away from the ship, eventually allowing the Earth's gravity to take hold. He fell, entering the planet's atmosphere, plummeting towards the ground below.

The red skies changed to a reassuring blue, the sun shined through, restoring some of Superman's strength as the ground approached rapidly.

Managing to slow down, Kal-El changed direction and flew upwards, gaining more energy before bombing across the sky.

Gotham:

Superman approached Wayne Manor, spotting a lone woman sitting on the steps leading up to the main door. Having seen the explosions in the sky, Lois had been waiting and hoping that Clark was alright. As she saw him approach, her heart skipped a beat, watching and smiling as he touched down in front of her.

"You did it…you beat him…are you alright?"

"I will be…"

Gotham:

Soon after, they were gathered in the cave underneath Wayne Manor, all of them. At first there wasn't a sound heard between them as they reflected on the events that had happened over the last couple of days. A lot of people had died, a lot more had been saved thanks to the heroes gathered in the cave. It was Lois who spoke up first.

"How are you feeling Clark?"

"I'm alright…though I've seen enough kryptonite today to last me a lifetime. That missile…if I had been any closer it would have finished me. How did the U.S. military get their hands on the stuff anyway?"

"Three guesses…and I'll give you a clue…Mr. Cueball…"

"Lex Luthor? Why am I not surprised…he's been gone for months but he still nearly killed me."

"I'm sorry Kal-El, I tried to convince them not to use it…"

"It's ok Diana, I can't really blame them after everything that's happened."

Again they were all silent, remembering everything that had gone on. Bruce Wayne was deep in thought, silently mourning his friends. As his emotions threatened to overcome him, he decided it wasn't appropriate yet and turned his thoughts to Lashina.

"So…what are you going to do now that Darkseid is gone? If he's dead…"

"He's not dead…I can feel it."

"You could stay here…the world can always use more heroes."

"After what I did to Kal-El, you invite me to stay? You really are a noble race sometimes…No, I can't stay. I have some contacts on New Genesis…"

"New…what?"

"It doesn't matter. The point is, Darkseid is gonna have a war on his hands and I intend to be there on the front lines to bring him to justice."

They talked solidly for an hour, with the Flash and Green Lantern telling of their experiences working with other super-powered beings to bring down Darkseid's invasion force.

"I'm telling you…some of these guys are pretty good Clark…they could even give some of us a run for our money. But after Darkseid's invasion, a lot of them are lost…they don't know what to do."

"I do…we bring them together. Every single one of them. Sure they can handle most situations on their own, bank robberies etc, but if something big…another invasion…I dunno…something that we can't handle on our own happens…we can be organised, ready."

"Wait what are you saying? Like a League of Heroes?" asked the Flash.

"Or a Justice Squad…" offered Lantern.

"Hold on…league…justice…the Hero Squad."

"I like it…"

"Justice League…"

"Crap…"

They laughed, the first time in a while that they had been able to let go and feel anything positive.

"Something like that," replied Superman, "But for now, we need to rebuild and get the world back up and running."

"And then?"

"And then…" Clark looked at Lois, "Then I get married….finally."

They smiled at each other. Reunited at last. Clark would always carry he scars of Darkseid's unending use of torture but he knew that as long as Lois was there, he would be ok.

Two Months Later:

The bells rang out over Smallville, Kansas. Clark Kent stood waiting as Lois approached. He was wearing a suit. But not the familiar blue of Superman. Instead a black tuxedo. His friends had assured him that if a hero was needed, there were others who would step in on this day. Pushing his glasses up, he faced Lois and smiled nervously.

"…Ladies and gentleman, we are gathered here today to celebrate the joining of Clark Kent and Lois Lane…"

Planet Apokalips:

Fire rained down from the sky. Granny Goodness charged with her armies against an army led by her former student, Lashina. New Genesis had declared war on Darkseid and as Lashina led the invading forces, Darkseid stood on a bridge, over looking a fire pit. A few feet away, his son stood, ready and waiting to take his father down.

"So Orion, here to fulfil your destiny?"

"Of course father…Kal-El defeated you…but it's my fate to kill you."

"Not all prophecies come true…but if you are that anxious to die…name your terms."

"Swords…primitive, I know…but far more personal. No Omega Beams, no motherboxes…just you...me… and pointed metal…"

Darkseid laughed as Orion threw him a sword and drew his own.

"Very well…"

Swords raised, they charged. Steel clashed against steel. Orion parried and swung his sword. Sparks flew as they battled on the narrow bridge. The intense fires below threatening to consume the loser.

Outside, Lashina and Granny Goodness faced each other in the middle of the battlefield. Around them, their armies fought and died as the ground became awash with blood, but they only had eyes for each other as they circled and engaged in a fearsome fight.

Mister Miracle searched through the lower dungeons, freeing the people from all over the universe who had been captured and enslaved. Darkseid's empire was falling apart.

The battle continued, the high security towers around Darkseid's domain exploded as New Genesis troops stormed the building, destroying drones and facing down parademons as they found the main controls to shut down the planetary defence systems, enabling the larger ships to descend into the atmosphere.

The sky lit up with energy blasts as Darkseid's army was decimated. Orion had warned him that New Genesis would retaliate if he attacked Earth. They knew that the anti-life equation was there and it was too powerful to be allowed to fall into Darkseid's hands.

What they didn't count on was that Earth would be victorious, after all no other world had ever defeated Darkseid.

Over the fire pit, father and son duelled. Their swords coming together with such a force that the entire structure shook, causing their swords to fall. So they went at it barehanded. The fought, fists pounding each other with intense fury.

Darkseid forced Orion backwards, picking up his sword and thrusting it at his son. Orion rolled to avoid as the sword came down again. Realising he was dangerously close to the edge, Orion flipped backwards, grabbing his own sword and standing p, ducking a violent swing from his father.

Orion and Darkseid stepped carefully, their swords coming together. Darkseid brought his sword down, and then sliced across only to find Orion spinning out of the way, slashing upwards then kicking Darkseid to the ground, his sword slipping from his hands into the fire below. Orion leaned over Darkseid, a sword at his father's throat.

"Tell me father…what were you saying about prophecies?"

Orion laughed as he brought his sword up, ready to fulfil his destiny and plunge the sword through his father.

Fiji:

Lois and Clark sat on a secluded beach, taking in the sunshine, enjoying their honeymoon, watching as the calm blue sea rolled up on the shore.

"I still can't believe Bruce let us use his beach house. His place is like a mini paradise…how is Bruce anyway?"

"You know what he's like. Always trying to bury his feelings. I think the funeral took a lot out of him. He buried his parents when he was a kid, and now the only family he has left is gone."

"That's not true…he has you, and the new Hero Squad…"

"Justice League."

"Whatever…at least you didn't call it the superfriends…"

"Well actually we did think about…"

"Clark…the point is, Bruce isn't alone, and he knows it."

"We're alone…"

"Easy Smallville…and don't forget, just because we're married, it doesn't mean you can use that x-ray vision of yours…you have to wait."

They laughed, arms around each other looking off into the horizon. Suddenly Clark sat up, his ears picking up a sound in the distance.

"What is it? What's wrong Clark?"

"I'm no sure…someone's in trouble…"

Clark stood up, ready to fly into action. He paused though to look at Lois.

"It's ok Clark…go. I'll be waiting."

Clark rose into the air, just about to go save the day before Lois stopped him.

"Um Clark…you forgetting something?"

"Huh?"

Clark looked at Lois for a moment, then down at himself, realising he was wearing shorts and not his familiar blue suit. Lois looked up at her husband and smiled.

"In the house…"

Minutes later, having put on his suit, Superman was flying across the sky, moving high above the clouds. His red cape flowed in the wind, stretching out behind him as his arms pushed forward. He smiled as he picked up the sound of his wife telling him she loved him as he picked up speed and streaked across the sky ready to save the day.

THE END


End file.
